Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk won the ATX Open in Austin on Sunday and then refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent.
Kosytuk defeated Varvara Gracheva in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, to win her WTA first title. But her refusal to acknowledge Gracheva after the match should not come as a surprise: She said at the Australian Open in January that she would not shake hands with any Russian or Belarusian opponent as the war continues in her home country.
Marta Kostyuk said she won't shake hands with Russians & she did that exactly even after winning her first title 👌 pic.twitter.com/7W23wNp1JG
— Kostyuk Fan 🇺🇦 (@KostyukFan) March 5, 2023
At the US Open last September, she did not shake hands with Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. The country is being used as a staging ground for Russia in support of that country’s invasion of Ukraine.
During the trophy presentation, Kostyuk dedicated her first WTA singles title to her country. She did not acknowledge Gracheva in her speech.
“Being in the position that I am in right now, it’s extremely special to win this title,” Kostyuk said. “And I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and to all the people that are fighting and dying right now.”