The 2023 French Open couldn’t have gotten off to a more exciting start. After all, the first match at this year’s clay court showpiece event pitted Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk. Sabalenka is one of the favorites to win the women’s singles title, but her encounter against Kostyuk became more about politics and less about tennis in the days leading up to it. This political connection was down to Kostyuk’s controversial decision to refuse handshakes with players who are yet to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. When the players first took to the court, the crowd seemed to be on Kostyuk’s side owing to her Ukrainian affiliations.

Ultimately though, Sabalenka got the better of Kostyuk and it didn’t take long for her to turn the crowd in her favor owing to Kostyuk’s unsportsmanlike actions. She also proved that her mind was firmly focused on tennis. However, in her post-match press conference, she revealed that she had some worries.

Aryna Sabalenka brings her vulnerable side to the fore after registering a dominant win over Kostyuk

World No. 2 Sabalenka displayed flashes of her brilliance against Kostyuk. Ultimately, the Belarusian’s performance earned her a well-deserved straight-sets victory. Sabalenka won the first set 6-3, in which Kostyuk still seemed like she had a chance to cause an upset. However, in the second set, Sabalenka overwhelmed her opponent as she cruised to a 6-2 win and clinched the match.

During her post-match press conference, she was quizzed regarding her feelings in the buildup to the match. Despite Sabalenka’s excellent performance, she revealed that ahead of the match, there were some negative thoughts in her mind. “You’re playing against a Ukrainian and you never know what’s gonna happen. You never know how people will – will they support you or not.”

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Sabalenka went on to say, “I was worried like that people will be against me, and I don’t like to play when people are so much against me”. However, Sabalenka ended her answer on a brighter note. “But then I got through it and I started playing tennis and focused on myself instead of the rest of the things.”

Marta Kostyuk disgraces herself not once, but twice

Professional tennis is competitive, but despite the fierce competition, players tend to show each other respect before and after their matches. It’s a custom to shake hands prior to the beginning of a match and following its conclusion. However, Kostyuk made a mockery of this custom in the moments before the match started, and also after it ended in defeat for her.

Kostyuk had warned in the buildup to the match that she would not shake Sabalenka’s hand. As it turned out, she stayed true to her words. However, Kostyuk’s actions made the crowd furious as they jeered her from start to finish. Ultimately, the crowd sided with Sabalenka for focusing on tennis and keeping her political affiliations aside.

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