Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Belarusian rival Victoria Azarenka after the US Open match, writes tennis. com.

According to 20-year-old Kostyuk, in this way she expressed her attitude towards the position of Azarenka, who did not oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine..

According to the athlete, shaking hands would be the wrong thing to do in the current circumstances.. Recall that Belarus is a key ally of Russia in the war against Ukraine. It is from the territory of Belarus that the Russian troops are shelling Kyiv, where Marta Kostyuk is from.

“Everyone is trying to be over-diplomatic about this.. My nation is being killed every day,” she said.

Kostyuk explained that she sent a message to Azarenka, in which she announced the refusal of the traditional handshake..

" She is a great competitor, I respect her as an athlete, but this has nothing to do with her as a person, ”said the Ukrainian.

The Belarusian athlete - a former world No. 1 who had friendly relations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the past - said she was not surprised by the decision, but "

Marta Kostyuk is one of those who speak the loudest about the war in Ukraine on the sports grounds.

In April, she was one of several Ukrainian players calling for Russian and Belarusian competitors to be excluded from the ATP and WTA Tours unless they publicly condemn Russia's aggression against Ukraine..

She also criticized Azarenka's planned participation in a charity event in support of Ukraine, which took place last week in New York, as a result of which the Belarusian athlete was recalled..

Earlier, Ukrainian tennis player Ilya Marchenko did not come up to shake hands with a Russian opponent.