Australian Open Handshake Drama Heats Up as Ukrainian Star Claps Back at French Rival

Tensions flared at the 2025 Australian Open during the women’s doubles third-round match between Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching against France’s Kristina Mladenovic and China’s Shuai Zhang. Kichenok and Chan lost 7-6(3), 6-2, but the spotlight turned to the handshake drama post-match. While Shuai Zhang and Hao-ching embraced, Kichenok pointedly refused to shake Mladenovic’s hand, though the French player did exchange a moment with Hao-ching. The awkward scene raised eyebrows across Melbourne Park. So what happened after that ?

The drama didn’t stop there. Tennis fans criticized Kichenok’s behavior, calling it unsportsmanlike. However, Kichenok took to Instagram to defend her actions, providing her side of the story. “I received very direct threat from my opponent during the match after unintentionally hitting her with a tennis ball,” she explained. “The response to my numerous apologies was, ‘You watch out next time.’ I don’t consider appropriate the act of respect like shake of hands in the end of the match with people who use verbal threats. Period.”

The Ukrainian tennis player tagged the WTA, the Australian Open, and the World Wide of Sports in her post, indicating she wanted official attention on the matter. What has Mladenovic said about this controversy?

Mladenovic had a different version of events. Speaking to reporters post-match, the French player said the situation stemmed from Kichenok and her partner’s behavior during the match. “Well, if you want my real honest opinion, I think the opponent team woke me up because they were a little bit showing unsportsmanship during my serve, and I got really mad. So I was like, okay, this is how the match is starting, and then it woke me up,” Mladenovic said.

The Frenchwoman and Zhang Shuai eventually fell short in the quarterfinals, losing to the duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova. However, the tension from their third-round clash remained a talking point.

Meanwhile, a similar handshake controversy played out earlier in the tournament, involving Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina refuses to shake hands with Russian player Veronica Kudermetova

Elina Svitolina has consistently declined post-match handshakes with Russian and Belarusian players since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This year, the issue resurfaced during her fourth-round match against Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. Svitolina triumphed 6-4, 6-1, advancing to the quarterfinals. Yet, her refusal to engage in the traditional handshake made headlines once again.

After the match, Svitolina added her own message to the moment. She wrote “The spirit of Ukraine” on a camera lens, highlighting her dedication to representing her country during challenging times. Reflecting on her performance, Svitolina said, “I was extremely motivated to win today, so that people in Ukraine wake up to good news.” Her actions and words continued to resonate with fans back home.

A similar incident occurred with Aryna Sabalenka as she double-bagelled Ukrainian player Leisa Tsurenko in just 52 minutes. At the end of the match, there was no handshake, common between Ukrainian players and those from Russia and Belarus. Tsurenko defended her decision by saying, “I don’t feel like I really care about how I finish the match, what is the score. I care more about the fact I can be here and I can remind the world that the war is still on, I care about the fact that I can earn some money and I can donate and I can help other people.”

Kichenok and Svitolina’s actions—though stemming from different circumstances—show how off-court conflicts can influence sportsmanship and competition on the court.