Mirra Andreeva Slammed for Liking Vladimir Putin Posts After Marta Kostyuk Speech Snub in Madrid

Mirra Andreeva, after becoming the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals, failed to win the Madrid Open, losing in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk. The win made the Ukrainian the first from her country to win a title at this level.

As expected, Kostyuk did not shake hands with the Russian player because of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Kostyuk found herself on the receiving end of criticism after her champion’s speech, as she did not mention Andreeva at all.

But she found a supporter in compatriot Alexandr Dolgopolov, a former ATP player. Dolgopolov also slammed Andreeva for allegedly liking posts about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Congratulations to Marta, well deserved! First her opponent likes posts about putin, then her fans pretend she is gracious in the speech and hate Marta What an enjoyable Saturday night.

Alexandr Dolgopolov wrote on X

Check out his post here:

Congratulations to Marta, well deserved!
First her opponent likes posts about putin, then her fans pretend she is gracious in the speech and hate Marta🤡
What an enjoyable Saturday night https://t.co/K6n08VhnCc

— Alex Dolgopolov (@TheDolgo) May 2, 2026

Kostyuk also did not shake hands with World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka after losing this year’s Brisbane International final. She neither posed for photos with the Belarusian before and after the match, nor did she mention her during the runner-up speech. Instead, she talked about the problems the people back home have been facing due to the war.

Kostyuk will not be playing the Italian Open this year. She took to Instagram to announce that she is dealing with hip and ankle issues and will be chasing her second consecutive WTA 1000 title. Kostyuk produced her best performance in Rome last year by reaching the fourth round.

Andreeva, on the other hand, will meet Antonia Ruzic in the second round of the Italian Open. The 19-year-old reached the quarterfinals in the tournament last year, her best performance.

Andreeva will be chasing her third WTA 1000 title after wins in last year’s Dubai Tennis Championships (beat Clara Tauson) and Indian Wells (beat Sabalenka). She has already won two titles this year (the Adelaide International against Victoria Mboko and the Linz Open against Anastasia Potapova).

Marta Kostyuk reached her career-best No.15 ranking

Marta Kostyuk clinched her career’s first Big Title at the Madrid Open. The victory also helped Kostyuk reach her career-best No.15 in the rankings table.

I played an incredible quarterfinal (against Sabalenka), and this year it went even better. I don’t focus on the ranking. I would’ve been happy to end the clay season in the top 20, but I don’t think about specific numbers. The ranking is a consequence of what you do on court.

Marta Kostyuk said at the press conference

Kostyuk is expected to play at Roland Garros, where she is a one-time semifinalist, reaching the stage in 2024. Last year, her run ended in the quarterfinals.

I might have better draws now, but all the players are very strong. I want to keep working and enjoying it. Roland Garros is in three weeks, and I haven’t thought about it yet. Before that, there’s Rome, Strasbourg, and plenty of training days. Last year, I played terribly in Paris—it was a really tough loss for me. I came off good results in Madrid and Rome, and maybe I had too many expectations.

Marta Kostyuk added

Kostyuk has so far won five singles titles. Before her triumph in the Spanish capital, Kostyuk clinched the Rouen title against countrywoman Veronika Podrez. The Madrid title, in fact, was Kostyuk’s first title above the WTA 250 level.

While she will be hoping to recover before the French Open, other top players will be bidding for the Italian Open, the main draw of which has already kicked off on May 5. Jasmine Paolini is playing as the defending champion.

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