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Ukrainian Kostyuk is booed at the French Open + attacks Sabalenka

Marta Kostyuk shakes hands with the referee – not with the opponent.

Bild: keystone

The Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with the Belarusian Arina Sabalenka at the French Open and is whistled at by the Paris audience. Then she sharply criticizes Sabalenka.

Published: 05/28/2023, 16:22

Simon Häring, Paris / CH MEDIa

The biggest war in Europe since the end of the Second World War has been raging in her homeland for 15 months. On Sunday night, Russia attacked Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, with 54 drones.

Even without this escalation, the duel between the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk and the Belarusian Arina Sabalenka in the first round of the French Open would have caused tension. Because it is well known that players from Ukraine do not shake hands with opponents from Russia and Belarus after the game.

But what happened after the 6:3 6:2 Sabalenkas against Kostyuk nobody expected. The Paris audience whistled at the Ukrainian.

Sabalenka bowed, thinking at first the whistles were aimed at her. Afterwards, the Belarusian said: «I was surprised, but then I felt the support and I regretted my first reaction. I can understand that she doesn’t shake hands with us and I don’t take it personally. Marta didn’t deserve to leave the pitch like this.”

Kostyuk was also surprised by the whistles, as she said after the game, and then: «I want to see how people will think about it in ten years when the war is over. I don’t think they will feel very good.”

Sabalenka speaks out against war

Then when asked about the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, in which Belarus made the stirrup holder for Vladimir Putin, the 20-year-old Australian Open winner Sabalenka said: “Listen, I’ve said that many times. No one in this world, no Russian and no Belarusian athlete supports the war. No one. How can we support the war? No normal person will ever support that.”

Kostyuk (left) and Sabalenka before the match.

Bild: keystone

An argument that Marta Kostyuk does not want to accept and for which she has no understanding. She says: “The war has been here for 15 months. The question should not be how she thinks about it, but who should win the war. I’m not so sure if many of them say that Ukraine should win. I want Ukraine to win this war.” To this day, Sabalenka has never said that she personally rejects it. However, the Belarusian repeatedly explains: “If I could, I would end the war. But unfortunately it’s not in our hands.”

Kostyuk: No respect for Sabalenka

Since the beginning of the war, Kostyuk has vehemently and vocally advocated sanctions against Russians and Belarusians. Before the tournament, she told the French sports newspaper L’Equipe: “I don’t live in this world anymore. If you ask me what my goal is this year, I answer: That my family survives the war.” It is enough for her to get a call from her father saying that everyone is fine.

Kostyuk has little time for Sabalenka. She says: “After this tournament, she could be number 1 in one of the most important sports in the world. It travels around the world and reaches billions of people.” The fact that she does not use this platform shows: “She does not take her responsibility seriously.” Does she hate Sabalenka for that? «No, hate and love are emotions. I can’t influence that. But I don’t respect her. Personally, that would hurt me more. Because respect is not an emotion.”

Ukrainians demand exclusion from tournaments

Kostyuk calls for the exclusion of Belarusians and Russians like in Wimbledon in 2022. The lawn tournament lifted this exclusion under pressure from the professional organizations ATP and WTA. In the previous year they had not awarded any world ranking points. Kostyuk hopes that Russians and Belarusians will not be given visas to enter the UK.

For Kostyuk, the tournament is already over.

Bild: keystone

Before Wimbledon 2022, she had told this newspaper how she experienced the war in her home country and how it changed her. Your homeland is under a brutal attack by a nuclear superpower. «The bombs reduce our houses to rubble, the Russian soldiers kill civilians and destroy our lives. Millions of children now know what fear and death look like and what explosions are,” Kostyuk said in July 2022.

Kostyuk: “Sport is politics, it’s always been like that”

Kostyuk also showed no understanding for the argument that sport and politics should be separated. «We all know how important sport is for Russia to demonstrate power and strength. Sport is politics, it always has been and always will be. Honestly, anyone who says otherwise is just stupid and looking for excuses.”

Even then she expressed her fear that the war was slowly being forgotten. “I think it’s normal that we get used to things, no matter how good or how bad they are. On the one hand this is understandable, on the other hand it leads to worse and worse things. People get used to war.” Therefore, she continues to try to be as loud as possible and draw attention to what is happening in Ukraine.

“Personally, I live by the motto: If you’re going through hell, keep going. Why should you stay in hell?” Marta Kostyuk told this newspaper in the summer of 2022. And keeps going. through hell

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

keystone / Evgeniy Maloletka

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

Keystone / Bernat Armangue

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

keystone / Evgeniy Maloletka

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

keystone / Andreea Alexandru

keystone / Evgeniy Maloletka

keystone / Andreea Alexandru

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

Keystone / Bernat Armangue

keystone / Emilio Morenatti

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2023-05-28 14:22:00
#Ukrainian #Kostyuk #booed #French #Open #attacks #Sabalenka

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