"Maybe I myself spread hate just by being there" - Marta Kostyuk hits back at Aryna Sabalenka over comments on locker room tensions

Marta Kostyuk has claimed that there is tension between Ukrainian players and those from Russia and Belarus in response to Aryna Sabalenka recently stating that she receives hate in the locker room.

Sabalenka made the statement ahead of the ongoing Miami Open.

“It was really, really tough for me because I’ve never faced that much hate in the locker room," Sabalenka said. “Of course, there are a lot of haters on Instagram when you’re losing the matches, but in the locker room, I’ve never faced that."

Responding to Sabalenka's claims, Kostyuk said that although she has never approached anyone in the locker room, her mere presence might spread hate. The Ukrainian also made it clear that she was not friends with Russian and Belarusian players.

"I might not say "Hi" to some players, but I never approached anyone. Maybe I myself spread hate just by being there. I don't know when people come out with that. But obviously there is tension - we're not friends. We are at war at the moment," Marta Kostyuk said as per the Daily Mail.

Marta Kostyuk lost to Anastasia Potapova in Miami Open R2

Kostyuk in action at the Dubai Tennis Championships

Marta Kostyuk's journey at the Miami Open came to an after a 6-1, 6-3 loss to 27th seed Anastasia Potapova in the second round. Potapova will take on sixth seed Coco Gauff in the third round.

Kostyuk did not shake Potapova's hand after the match in accordance with her post-match routine against players from Russia and Belarus.

Potapova later said that she "expected it."

"I expected it. It's obviously her choice. I take it like, 'I'm here to play tennis, to forget about some other things,’ she said.

Kostyuk has a 14-7 win-loss record so far this season. The Ukrainian won her maiden WTA title earlier this month at the ATX Open in Austin, beating Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 7-5 in the final.

Marta Kostyuk will next represent Ukraine in the qualifying round of the Billie Jean King Cup, which gets underway on April 14. Ukraine will square off against a very strong Czech Republic side consisting of Barbora Krejcikova, Katerina Siniakova and Karolina Muchova, among others.