the ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostiuk refused to salute the Belarusian opponent victoria azarenka, considering that the former world number 1 did not take a position on the war in Ukraine. “My country is being destroyed daily.“said the Ukrainian, explaining why she did not want to do the usual handshake at the end of the match.
This Thursday, Azarenka beat the Ukrainian, in two sets (with scores 6-2 and 6-3) – in the end, Kostyuk only chose to stretch his racket hoping that the opponent would reciprocate, an attitude that did not please the Belarusian.
I don’t know if this was the best I could do in the circumstances I’m in, but it was my choice. I don’t know any person [da Bielorrúsia] who has publicly condemned the war and the actions of his government, then I feel I cannot support him. We had a great game, she is a great competitor. I respect her as an athlete but not as a human being,” the Ukrainian told the British newspaper The Telegraph.
The Ukrainian Kostyuk even considered that Azarenka I shouldn’t have even participated in the test:: “Everyone wants to be super democratic with this issue. My country is being destroyed daily.. Imagine that in World War II there was a fundraiser for Jews and Germans to play, during the war, not 70 years later. I think the Jewish people would not understand it, ”says the Ukrainian.
Azarenka, who in 2012 was considered the best tennis player in the world, downplayed the incident. “I do not think that this situation should be given so much importance.. I always greet my opponents, I have had similar situations before, specifically in Washington with Yastremska. I can’t force anyone to shake my hand, it’s his decision, how does that make me feel? It’s not the most important thing in the world right now.”
The Belarusian athlete also took the opportunity to distance herself from the position in which the Ukrainian tennis player placed her, says that the games and contests you participate in have nothing to do with political or social issues:: “I look at her as a tennis player, as a colleague. I know that she is going through many difficult situations. It’s not easy to deal with… anything she can do to help her, I don’t play political games, I don’t play games of averagethat is not the reason why I am here”, he comments even after the fact.
Last week, the United States Tennis Association excluded the Belarusian from Tennis Plays for Peace, an initiative that brings together the tennis community to raise funds and humanitarian aid for the war in Ukraine.
Source: Observadora
