Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk shook hands with Daria Kasatkina after the match at the Italian open 2025. He will then face Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
Handshake was remarkable because Kostyuk refused to shake his hand with Kasatkin at their previous three meetings. In the middle of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian players have generally Avoid Handshakes with Russian and Belarusian opponents.
On Friday, Kostyuk shook hands with Kasatkina – this time without controversy, because Kasatkina is no longer a Russian citizen. In March, 28 -year -old officially became a permanent Australian inhabitant and since then he has continued his tennis career representing Australia.
“Australia is a place I love is incredibly welcome and a place where I feel completely at home. I love to be in Melbourne and look forward to doing my home there,” Kasatkina wrote in a statement.
Due to the ongoing war, athletes from Russia and Belarus competed under a neutral flag. Kasatkina was among them until recently, when she began to compete under the Australian flag.
“Truth and Dignity”
After their match Kostyuk appreciated Kasatkin, recognition of her decision to give up Russian citizenship.
“Since the beginning of the war, I decided not to shake my hands with Russian or Belarusian players. But when someone not only tells the truth – he calls Russia an aggressor – but he is also acting, which deserves respect,” Kostyuk wrote on Instagram.
“Daria Kasatkina clearly spoke against the war and decided to give up her Russian sporting citizenship. It requires courage – and I recognize it. I hope this is not the last step, but part of a deeper commitment. I stand with Ukraine.
Why did Daria Kasatkina change their nationality?
Kasatkina had previously shared that as a member of the LGBTQ community, he remained increasingly difficult in Russia-especially after the country began to prosecute the individual to display Pro-LGBTQ+ images.
“It’s hard. Frankly, it was one of my main reasons why I had to take this step and change my nationality, because if I wanted to live a free and open life as I wanted, I couldn’t do it in Russia. I had to find another place. And I did it,” Kasatkina said earlier.
In 2022, Kasatkina came out as gay and got engaged to her partner Natalia Zabiako. The couple also runs the YouTube channel called What the Vlog. ”
Published:
Sabyasachi Chowdhury
Published on:
10 May 2025
