Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk made headlines when she refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent, Anastasia Potapova, after their match at the Miami Open. Kostyuk cited the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the reason for her refusal.
This incident is just the latest in a series of tensions between Ukrainian and Russian players in the tennis world. Potapova had also been warned by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for wearing a Spartak Moscow football shirt to her Indian Wells match against Jessica Pegula, which was seen as a political statement by some.
Kostyuk had previously refused to shake hands with Russian players Varvara Gracheva and Victoria Azarenka, who is from Russia's ally Belarus. She has also spoken out about the lack of response from the WTA about a request from Ukrainian players to meet with the board.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has had a significant impact on many areas of life, including sports. Tensions between Ukrainian and Russian athletes have been on the rise in recent years, and incidents like this highlight the ongoing issues that exist between the two nations.
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