 "WATCH: Ukrainian tennis star beats Russian rival, breaks down, doesn't shake hands")
Texas: After defeating her Russian rival in a WTA final last night, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk declined to shake hands with her and instead dedicated her victory to those “fighting and dying” in her native country.
In the ATX Open final in Austin, Texas, the 20-year-old Ukrainian wept on the court after defeating Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 7-5.
The 52nd-ranked Ms Kostyuk said in the emotional post-match interview: “Being in the position that I am in right now, it’s extremely special to achieve this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and to everyone who is currently battling and dying”.
She had done this earlier as well by declining to shake the hand of her 22-year-old Russian opponent at the net after winning.
Video captured her blatantly disregarding Ms. Gracheva as she ran across the court to join the crowd in celebration.
Ms. Kostyuk has been outspoken in the past regarding the tennis community’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of her country, claiming that anti-war platitudes weren’t sufficient.
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View AllMs. Kostyuk described it as “very upsetting” when she saw Srdjan Djokovic, Novak Djokovic’s father, taking a photo with a Russian banner bearing Vladimir Putin’s image at the Australian Open in January.
At the US Open, she also declined to shake palms with Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
Ms. Kostyuk was seen shaking hands with the referee after winning last night, but she ignored her opponent.
During the post-match ceremony, she said, “Everyone who is in the stands and everyone who is watching, particularly in Ukraine, I want to say Slava Ukraini”.
“I want to dedicate this title to all the people in Ukraine who are fighting and dying right now.”
— Sviatoslav Hnizdovskyi (@s_hnizdovskyi) March 6, 2023
Ukrainian tennis player @marta_kostyuk won her debut @WTA title and devoted it to Ukrainians. Symbolically, in the final, she won over the russian.💙💛#StandWithUkraine️ pic.twitter.com/5RLWkXVcjZ
Glory to Ukraine is the translation of the Ukrainian phrase, which she continued to say as she honoured those who had fought and endured the brutal Russian assault.
“It felt like a “home tournament,” she said, calling the atmosphere of the gathering “one of the nicest” she had ever experienced.
She was ranked 52 as of last week, but after winning, she is now at a personal high of 40.
Both Gracheva, a native of Moscow, and Kostyuk, the eighth-seeded player in the competition, were competing in their first-ever tour-level championship match.
Since Putin’s forces entered Ukraine last year, Ms. Kostyuk has posted frequent updates on the conflict there and has been resolute in her criticism of Russian and Belarusian adversaries.
She was adamant that she would shun any competitors at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January who did not express their opposition to the conflict.
Ms. Kostyuk declared, “I haven’t changed about the conflict and everything that’s going on, on tour”.
“Because people who just say they don’t want war, it makes us [Ukraine] sound like we want war. Obviously, we don’t want the war, too,” she said.
Ms. Kostyuk revealed that she hardly spoke to the Russian and Belarusian players on the tour outside of games.
“I think that anyone who speaks out clearly has a right to be on tour, but anyone who doesn’t… I don’t believe it’s simply compassionate,” she said.
She first voiced her disapproval during the US Open 2022 in New York, when she objected to shaking palms with 33-year-old former world number one Azarenka.
Because she felt it was inappropriate in light of Azarenka’s reluctance to condemn the conflict, Kostyuk declined to shake hands at the net. She swiftly struck the racket instead.
She said, “It was my decision - I don’t feel like I know any single person who openly condemned the war, and the actions of their government, so I don’t feel like I can support this.” She made the statement to ESPN at a news conference after the game.
Don’t get me wrong; she’s a formidable opponent. But it has nothing to do with the fact that she is a person,’ Ms. Kostyuk continued.
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