'I wasn't surprised' - Victoria Azarenka not bothered by handshake snub from Marta Kostyuk at the US Open
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ByEurosport
Updated 01/09/2022 at 19:21 GMT
Victoria Azarenka and Marta Kostyuk did not shake hands at the end of their US Open second round match on Thursday, but instead tapped racquets. Azarenka said in her post-match press conference: "I don't believe that making a big deal out of it is important. I always shake hands with my opponents. I had the same situation with [Dayana] Yastremska in Washington. It is what it is. I just move on."
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Victoria Azarenka and Martya Kostyuk did not shake hands after their US Open second round match on Thursday, but the Belarusian insists she has no issue with the Ukrainian.
Both players opted to tap racquets instead after Azarenka's 6-2 6-3 win over the 20-year-old on Court 17.
The match came days after Kostyuk slammed Azarenka for choosing to participate in a charity match in Ukraine before the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced she would no longer be part of it.
After hearing Azarenka got an invite, Kosyuk was upset that the 33-year-old had not reached out to her.
She said: "I did not understand the reason why they called Victoria Azarenka. There was no open help from her in our direction. She did not communicate with me, but I know that she communicated with Serhiy Stakhovsky, with Gael Monfils in Madrid.”
Azarenka said she was not bothered about the pair not shaking hands on Thursday and that she is always available to Kostyuk as a member of the WTA's players' council.
"I wasn't surprised," the world No. 26 told reporters after her straight sets victory.
"I don't believe that making a big deal out of it is important. I always shake hands with my opponents. I had the same situation with [Dayana] Yastremska in Washington. It is what it is. I just move on. I cannot force anybody to shake my hand.
"It's their decision. How did it make me feel? It's not the most important thing in the world right now.
"I don't need to sit here and pat myself on the back. I know very clearly of my actions."
She continued: "I don't think that, with all due respect, I don't think she has any idea of what I do on the player council because she's not there. So if anybody, as I said, if anybody wants to talk to me, I'm always available to players. Because it's part of my job, player council, to listen to feedback of players, and Marta is no different for me.
"To me, I look at her as a tennis player, as a colleague. I know she's going through a lot of difficult situations. It's not easy to handle.
"From my perspective, I wish she had somebody who guide her a little bit better through this difficult time.
"There is going to be more sympathy from others. I feel like when you're trying to, I don't know, react, it's not always received that well.
"So I'm always open to listen. I can't force people to do something they don't want to do. But any time, she has my number, as you know, she texted me, and all others, as well.
"Whatever I can do to help people, I don't play political games, I don't play media games, that's not what I'm here for. I'm a very direct person."
Eurosport expert Mats Wilander says it would be "very dangerous" for Kostyuk and Azarenka to have any personal issue relating to the war in Ukraine.
He said: "It is way more than just a tennis match. Of course Victoria Azarenka is Belarusian but her opponent Kostyuk is Ukrainian so obviously there is that whole thing going on.
"We know that Russian and Belarusian players were not allowed to play in England for Wimbledon or the lead-up tournaments and there are certainly players out there who feel the same rules should apply here in America towards the Belarusian and Russian players. But to make it into a personal thing I think is very dangerous.
"You have to understand both sides somehow. I cannot imagine being from Belarus or Russia and trying to get out there and do your best knowing that there are people around who may not necessarily agree with what your governments are doing."
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