Breaking the Ice? Ukrainian Tennis Beauty Shakes Hands with Russian Opponent: Happy She Switched Nationality to Australia

On May 10 (Beijing time), in a second-round highlight match of the WTA 1000 Rome Open, Ukrainian star Marta Kostyuk defeated Daria Kasatkina with scores of 6-4 and 6-2 to advance to the Round of 32.

What drew particular attention was that Kostyuk, a Ukrainian, took the initiative to shake hands with Kasatkina, who is originally from Russia—marking a potentially historic moment. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian players like Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk have refused to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents. Even World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been subjected to hostility from Ukrainian players due to her nationality.

Kostyuk explained, “I shook hands with her because I am happy for her and her decision. I think if someone not only speaks the truth but also acts on it, they deserve respect. It’s important to acknowledge that, so others can look up to such behavior and have role models in these situations.”

However, Kostyuk emphasized again that she will not become friends with Russian-born players: “I wouldn’t say we’re friends. I think we’ve just returned to a professional colleague relationship, like I have with most players on tour. Nothing official has been announced about it.”

After reaching the third round, Kostyuk earned 65 points and climbed to No. 25 in the live rankings. She will face American star Jessica Pegula in the next round.