Handshake drama hits French Open as Kostyuk rubbishes Sabalenka's apparent anti-war stance

• Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk was unperturbed by the Roland Garros crowd jeering her for not shaking Belarusian opponent Aryna Sabalenka's hand after their first round encounter.
• Kostyuk, a prominent critic of Russia's invasion of her country, said she felt Sabalenka's statements about the ongoing conflict weren't sincere.
• Sabalenka, the world No 2, cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk shrugged off the deluge of jeers and boos which greeted her refusal to shake hands with Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, insisting she has "no respect" for her rival's claim that "nobody wants this war".

In a highly-charged first round clash at Roland Garros, world number two Sabalenka won 10 of the last 12 games to sail to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.

However, in a match where the build-up had been overshadowed by the continuing sporting fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kostyuk followed through on her promise not to shake hands with Sabalenka. Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.

The 20-year-old Ukrainian was widely jeered as she packed her bags and left Court Philippe Chatrier.

Sabalenka insisted that all Belarusian and Russian players are opposed to the war which has raged on since February 2022.

"Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, supports the war. Nobody," said the 25-year-old. "If we could stop it, we would do it."

However, Kostyuk, one of the most vociferous opponents of the continued presence of Russian and Belarusian players in the sport, hit back.

"She never says that she personally doesn't support this war, and I feel like journalists should change the questions that you ask these athletes because the war is already there," she said.

"I feel like you should ask these players who would they want to win the war because if you ask this question, I'm not so sure these people will say that they want Ukraine to win."

Sabalenka can become the new world number one after the French Open and Kostyuk believes the Australian Open champion will then have a global platform from which to denounce the war.

"There are so many platforms that millions, billions of people in the world read. And just to reject her responsibility of having an opinion on the most important things in the world, I cannot respect it," said Kostyuk.

'People should be embarrassed' 

"She said that I hate her. 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."

She added: "I personally know athletes from tennis who support the war. To say nobody does is a little bit strong."

Sabalenka said she sympathised with Kostyuk being subject to jeers from the French crowd.

"I understand why they are not shaking hands with us. I can imagine if they gonna shake hands with us, and then what's going to happen to them from Ukrainian side? So I understand that," said Sabalenka.

"And I understand that this is not kind of like personally. I think she don't deserve to leave the court that way."

Kostyuk questioned the crowd's motives in booing her stance.

"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," she said.

"I didn't expect it. People should be honestly embarrassed."

Sabalenka initially thought the boos were targeted at her rather than Kostyuk.

"They saw it as disrespect, so that's why it was booing to her. But at first I thought they were booing me. I was a little confused, and I was, like, 'Okay, what should I do?'," said Sabalenka who had performed an exaggerated and theatrical bow at the end of the match.

Kostyuk was last in her home city of Kyiv in March where her father and grandfather still live. She is currently based in Monaco, living with her mother and sister.

The war is never far away for Kostyuk. On Saturday night, Kyiv saw the largest drone attack since the beginning of the Russian invasion. The attack killed two people and wounded three others.

Kostyuk famously refused to shake hands with Sabalenka's Belarusian compatriot and former world number one Victoria Azarenka at the US Open last year. She opted instead for a cursory touch of racquets at the net.

Since then, it has become a common sight with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina refusing to shake hands with Russian Anna Blinkova after winning the Strasbourg final on Saturday.

French Open results on Sunday, the first day of the 2023 championships at Roland Garros (x denotes seeded player; players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries):

Men

First round

Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) bt Daniel Galan (COL) 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA x17) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 7-5, 6-2, 6-4

Alexander Shevchenko bt Oscar Otte (GER) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)

Lucas Pouille (FRA) bt Jurij Rodionov (AUT) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Jason Kubler (AUS) bt Facundo Diaz (ARG) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

Sebastian Ofner (AUT) bt Maxime Cressy (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

Sebastian Korda (USA x24) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 6-4, 7-5, 6-4

Nuno Borges (POR) bt John Isner (USA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (11/9)

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) bt Emilio Nava (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-2

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x5) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7)

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Hugo Grenier (FRA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

Tallon Griekspoor (NED) bt Pedro Martinez (ESP) 6-4, 2-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3

Hubert Hurkacz (POL x13) bt David Goffin (BEL) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (x11) bt Constant Lestienne (FRA) 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3

Radu Albot (MDA) bt Patrick Kypson (USA) 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1

Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) bt Dan Evans (GBR x20) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Ben Shelton (USA x30) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Ugo Humbert (FRA) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1

Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Arthur Cazaux (FRA) 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Andrey Rublev (x7) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Women

First round

Karolina Muchova (CZE) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE x8) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

Nadia Podoroska (ARG) bt Jessika Ponchet (FRA) 6-0, 6-2

Sara Errani (ITA) bt Jil Teichmann (SUI) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM x27) bt Anna Bondar (HUN) 6-4, 6-2

Leylah Fernandez (CAN) bt Magda Linette (POL x21) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3

Clara Tauson (DEN) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-0

Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) bt Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3

Liudmila Samsonova (x15) bt Katie Volynets (USA) 6-0, 6-1

Mayar Sherif (EGY) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 6-3, 6-1

Anastasia Potapova (x24) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-1, 6-2

Elise Mertens (BEL x28) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 6-1, 6-4

Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-3, 6-4

Jessica Pegula (USA x3) bt Danielle Collins (USA) 6-4, 6-2

Storm Sanders (AUS) bt Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Daria Kasatkina (x9) bt Jule Niemeier (GER) 6-3, 6-4

Zheng Qinwen (CHN x19) bt Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 6-3, 6-1

Magdalena Frech (POL) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN x29) 6-1, 6-1

Kamilla Rakhimova bt Sara Bejlek (CZE) 6-0, 6-3

Iryna Shymanovich bt Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-1

Aryna Sabalenka (x2) bt Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 6-3, 6-2