Marta Kostyuk ridicules spectators for booing her after no handshake with Aryna Sabalenka post French Open loss

Marta Kostyuk did not expect crowd to boo her when she refused to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka.

Marta Kostyuk ridicules spectators for booing her after no handshake with Aryna Sabalenka post French Open loss

Image Credit: Marta Kostyuk (Sports360)

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk once again came into the limelight for not shaking hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after her first-round loss. Marta got heavily booed by the French spectators for not following the usual norm of shaking her opponent’s hand.

This is not the first time the upcoming Ukrainian has refused to shake hands with her opponent. In the past, she did not shake hands with her good friend Anastasia Potapova. Marta Kostyuk has been the most vociferous player, showing her solidarity for her countrymen. Due to this, every time she plays against a Belarusian or Russian, people are more focused on the post-match handshake. 

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Since it has become a repetitive thing with Marta, the French crowd did not feel pity for the Ukrainian. Instead, they booed her as she was exiting the court. In the post-match conference, she was asked how she felt when she got booed. Marta said, “I wanna know how they will feel about that in 10 years, when the war is over. I don’t think they will feel great.”

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Kostyuk said that Ukrainian players do not hate Belarusian players, but there is tension because of the ongoing conflict between their countries. Sabalenka had initiated a meetup to be set up between the Ukrainian and Russian/Belarusian players. But WTA was not able to set up a meeting.

Keep Exploring: Who are Marta Kostyuk’s parents, Oleg Kostyuk and Talina Beiko?

Marta Kostyuk did not expect fans to react like this

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Image Credit: Marta Kostyuk leaving without shaking Aryna Sabalenka’s hand (BBC)

Marta Kostyuk wouldn’t, in her wildest dream, imagine that she would get booed for sticking up for her principles. She had hoped to believe that tennis fans would have had more sympathy for her and Ukraine. But instead, she was the one who faced flak from fans for not shaking hands. She said, “What happened today, I have to say I didn’t expect it.”

In the post-match conference, Mara Kostyuk spoke in a very transparent fashion. She said that she did not feel embarrassed but she believes it should be the other way. She said “People should be honestly embarrassed” for people who booed her.

Whether the incident troubled the 20-year-old or the unexpected booing Though Kostyuk looked disappointed, she said she was feeling fine after the humiliation. She said, “I don’t know. I feel fine“. Marta will now continue her 2023 campaign with the grass season. This year, Wimbledon has also allowed Belarusian and Russian players to participate as neutral citizens.

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