There was tension on Day 3 of the French Open when Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk was booed for refusing to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka following their match, which Sabalenka had won 6-3, 6-2. The reaction from a sizeable section of the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier was immediate and hostile, even though Kostyuk went on to shake hands with the umpire instead. The Ukrainian athlete then suggested that the crowd should be embarrassed by its behaviour. She went on to say that there are Russian athletes who do not support the war, though other Ukrainians have opted not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents after their meetings. Whilst the match itself was won comfortably by world No 2 Sabalenka, it contained a number of politically-charged elements.

Source: The Guardian May 28, 2023 19:50 UTC