Ukrainian Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Russian Gracheva after the final of the WTA tournament in the USA
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Russian player Varvara Gracheva after the final match of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournament in Austin (USA). It is reported by “Championship”.
In the decisive match, Kostyuk defeated Gracheva in two sets with a score of 6:3, 7:5. During the awards ceremony, the athletes did not take the traditional joint photo. In addition, they did not mention each other in post-match interviews.
In September 2022, at the US Open tournament, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusian rivals Victoria Azarenka and Alexandra Sasnovich. Instead, the athletes exchanged touches with rackets.
The WTA did not completely exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in tournaments. Tennis players continue to compete in a neutral status.
Source: Lenta
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