Last year at the National Bank Open, Marta Kostyuk stunned fans not only by defeating Daria Kasatkina but by shaking her hand afterward amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “Since the beginning of the w*r, I have chosen not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players,” she explained, acknowledging Kasatkina’s switch to Australia after gaining citizenship and coming out as nonbinary. Yet at the French Open, facing Oksana Selekhmeteva, the situation took another dramatic turn as Kostyuk once again grabbed headlines over the ongoing handshake controversy

Marta Kostyuk has arrived at the Roland Garros carrying strong momentum after the biggest breakthrough run of her career in Madrid. Competing in her seventh main-draw appearance in Paris and at the highest ranking of her career, the world No. 15 looked sharp from the opening ball. She comfortably defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 to clear the first-round hurdle.

However, the post-match moment quickly became the biggest talking point. After sealing the win, Kostyuk chose not to shake hands with Selekhmeteva. The decision immediately sparked discussion because of the complicated nationality situation surrounding her opponent.

At the time the draw and order of play were initially released, Selekhmeteva appeared without a national flag beside her name. Yet on the official scoreboard, she was already listed as representing Spain. 

Adding more intrigue to the situation, Spanish Billie Jean King Cup captain Carla Suárez Navarro was also present inside Selekhmeteva’s player box.

The nationality switch itself had only recently become official. Over the past few months, several Russian-born players, including Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Potapova, Kamilla Rakhimova, and Polina Kudermetova, have either changed or explored changing their sporting nationalities. Selekhmeteva has now joined that growing list.

The 23-year-old officially decided to represent Spain in recent days. In a statement published on its official website, the Spanish Tennis Federation confirmed the change and revealed that Selekhmeteva would also become eligible for national team selection. 

“Oksana Selekhmeteva, a Russian tennis player based in Barcelona, has received Spanish nationality. The 23-year-old will be at the disposal of captain Carla Suárez Navarro to be called up with the Spanish tennis team competing in the Billie Jean King Cup.” The statement formally confirmed her sporting transition to Spain.

Later, the federation further explained Selekhmeteva’s long connection with the country. “Oksana Selekhmeteva has resided and trained in Spain since the age of 14, where her parents also live. The RFET, aware of her desire to play under the Spanish flag, has initiated the legal procedures with the Higher Sports Council so that she can be part of the national team,” notably states the RFET article from this Thursday.

A similar controversy had already unfolded earlier at the Madrid Open involving Marta Kostyuk and Anastasia Potapova. Despite Potapova reportedly switching her sporting nationality from Russia to Austria, Kostyuk still made it clear that she would not shake hands after their match. 

While explaining her decision, Kostyuk pointed out that nationality changes alone were not enough for her. She specifically referenced Daria Kasatkina as the only exception among players with Russian roots.

“The only person I shake hands with is Daria Kasatkina because not only did she change her passport, she also openly said she does not support the w*r and all those things,” Kostyuk explained while discussing the issue.

Now through to the second round of the French Open, Kostyuk has continued carrying strong emotions regarding her home country throughout the tournament. 

Marta Kostyuk was emotionally overwhelmed following devastating events in Ukraine

After her victory at the French Open, Marta Kostyuk delivered an emotional speech while reflecting on the traumatic situation unfolding in Ukraine. The Ukrainian star admitted that the morning before her match had been extremely painful and mentally exhausting.

“I’m incredibly proud of myself today,” she began. “I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 meters from my parent’s house, the missile destroyed the building. It was a very difficult morning.” Her words immediately revealed the heartbreaking reality she was dealing with before even stepping onto the court.

Kostyuk later admitted that she had serious doubts about how she would emotionally handle the match. “I didn’t know how this match is gonna turn out for me. I didn’t know how I would handle it. I’ve been crying part of the morning.”

Even after her victory, Kostyuk made it clear that her thoughts were far beyond tennis. “I don’t wanna talk about myself today. I’m very pleased to be in the 2nd round, but all of my thoughts and all my heart goes to the people of Ukraine today. Thank you so much for coming out. Slava Ukraine.”

Later, Kostyuk explained why she continues pushing forward despite the constant emotional pain surrounding the war. “Because I think it’s important to keep going,” she continued.

“My biggest example is the Ukrainian people. I woke up in the morning today, and I looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their lives, kept helping people who are in need.” Kostyuk credited ordinary Ukrainians for inspiring her strength during such devastating circumstances.

She also expressed gratitude toward the Ukrainian fans who came to support her in Paris. “I knew a lot of Ukrainian flags would be here today, and a lot of Ukrainian people would come out and support. My friends from Ukraine came as well. Very happy to have them here. Not much I can say.”

The 15th seed remains unbeaten on clay in 2026 after capturing titles in Rouen and Madrid earlier this season. Kostyuk will next face either Katie Volynets or Clara Burel in the second round of the French Open. 

With her confidence growing and emotions fueling her determination, many will now watch closely to see how far she can push herself in Paris.