French Open 2023: Ukraine player Marta Kostyuk booed for not shaking hands of Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka

Politics spills over into French Open as Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Belarus’ Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine walks past Aryna Sabalenka after their women's singles first round Match at Roland Garros. Picture: Getty Images

French tennis fans booed Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk for refusing to shake hands after being defeated by Belarus opponent Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros overnight (AEST).

Kostyuk said the French Open crowd “should be embarrassed” by its actions and should have recognised that her political stance overrode any actions of sportsmanship.

Tennis great Martina Navratilova, who was commentating, said of Kostyuk’s snub: “I think she should have shaken hands, but it’s a personal decision.”

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, easily dispensed with Kostyuk 6-3, 6-2 despite the tensions of the match and the rowdy feelings from the crowd.

Kostyuk previously said she wouldn’t shake hands with Sabalenka after being highly critical of the women’s tour allowing Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago. At the completion of the match she went straight to her chair to gather her tennis bag.

“I want to see people react to it in 10 years when the war is over. I think they will not feel really nice about what they did,” Kostyuk, 20, said of the crowd’s booing.

“I didn’t expect it. People should be honestly embarrassed.”

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. Picture: Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Picture: Getty Images

Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of another Belarus player, Victoria Azarenka, at the US Open last year, instead electing a brief touch of racquet at the net.

Sabalenka said afterwards she was initially confused about whether the booing was directed at herself. When Kostyuk didn’t approach the net, Sabalenka turned to the audience and gave an elaborate, theatrical bow.

”It was a very tough match, tough emotionally. I didn’t know if the booing was against me but thank you so much for your support, it’s really important,” Sabalenka said.

She questioned why she had to express her view, adding that “of course Russia or Belarusian athletes don’t support the war, why do we have to go out and say these things? One plus one equals two, we don’t support the war.

“If we could stop we would do it, but unfortunately it is not in our hands.”

Kostyuk said after the match: ”I never said publicly nor privately nor to anyone that I hate Aryna Sabalenka or any of the players. I just don’t respect her because of her position in this situation.”

Kostyuk said Russian and Belarus players had many media platforms to denounce the actions of the Kremlin.

“Someone like Aryna who travels the world, she has a big platform of people who support her. I speak out … there are so many platforms, and just to reject her responsibility of having an opinion on most important things in the world, I cannot respect that.”