The Ukrainian explained the refusal to shake hands with the Russian woman after the final of the WTA tournament – ​​RBC Sport

The Ukrainian explained the refusal to shake hands with the Russian woman after the final of the WTA tournament

Marta Kostyuk said that she refused traditional handshakes with Varvara Gracheva due to the fact that the Russian woman did not condemn the special operation in Ukraine. Athletes met in the final in Austin, where the Ukrainian won

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Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Russian woman Varvara Gracheva after the final match of the WTA tournament in Austin, USA, because her rival did not speak out against the special operation in Ukraine. The 20-year-old tennis player spoke about this in an interview with the Big Tennis of Ukraine portal.

“Varvara did not tell me personally or publicly that she condemns the actions of the authorities of her country, so for me this is a certain sign that a person in his heart supports what is happening now,” said Kostyuk.

According to the Ukrainian tennis player, she discussed her behavior with WTA representatives in advance. “They asked me how I would like the award ceremony, photo shoot and so on. I immediately warned that I would not shake hands, I would not take a photo, so they were ready for this – it was not a surprise for them, ”added the athlete.

Kostyuk defeated 22-year-old Gracheva in the decisive match in Austin with a score of 6:3, 7:5. Both tennis players reached the finals for the first time in WTA tournaments.

After the meeting, the Ukrainian refused to shake hands with the Russian woman, as is customary in tennis. During the award ceremony, the opponents refused the traditional joint photo of the finalists and did not say a word about each other, which is also customary in tennis.