Mats Wilander is hoping the Marta Kostyuk and Victoria Azarenka case does not escalate any further as he noted that making it a personal things is “very dangerous.”
On Thursday, Belarusian tennis star Azarenka ousted Ukraine’s Kostyuk 6-2 6-3 in the US Open second round.
After the match, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Azarenka.
Instead, Kostyuk just tapped Azarenka’s racket.
Previously, Kostyuk called out Azarenka’s participation at the US Open’s charity event for Ukraine, which ultimately led to Azarenka being excluded from the event.
“It is way more than just a tennis match. Of course Victoria Azarenka is Belarusian but her opponent Kostyuk is Ukrainian so obviously there is that whole thing going on,” Wilander said on Eurosport. “We know that Russian and Belarusian players were not allowed to play in England for Wimbledon or the lead-up tournaments and there are certainly players out there who feel the same rules should apply here in America towards the Belarusian and Russian players. But to make it into a personal thing I think is very dangerous. You have to understand both sides somehow. I cannot imagine being from Belarus or Russia and trying to get out there and do your best knowing that there are people around who may not necessarily agree with what your governments are doing.”
Kostyuk on why she didn’t shake Azarenka’s hand
Kostyuk suggested that Azarenka hasn’t done enough to show that she’s not supporting the actions of Russia and Belarusia in Ukraine.
That’s why Kostyuk felt that shaking Azarenka’s hand just wouldn’t be right.
“It was my choice—I don’t feel like I don’t know any single person who condemned the war publicly, and the actions of their government, so I don’t feel like I can support this,” Kostyuk said. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great competitor. But it has nothing to do with her being a human being.”