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After getting booed at the French Open, Marta Kostyuk has stated that fans will regret their actions when they look back on the events in the future.
Kostyuk's 2023 Roland Garros campaign came to an end in the opening round on Sunday, May 28, following defeat to second seed Aryna Sabalenka. Despite going up a break early in the match, she lost 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 11 minutes.
After the defeat, Kostyuk ignored Sabalenka and did not shake hands. This is a stance she has taken with Russian and Belarusian players after her country, Ukraine, was attacked by Russia, starting in 2022. She has previously refused to shake hands with the likes of Varvara Gracheva, Victoria Azarenka, and Anastasia Potapova.
Fans did not take kindly to Kostyuk's actions and they booed her off the court. Addressing it at her post-match press conference, Kostyuk declared that fans will regret their action in the future.
"I don't know. I want to see people react to it in ten years when the war is over. I think they will not feel really nice about what they did. I said that I will not do it [shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players], and I don't know why people think I'll suddenly change my mind," she said.
The 20-year-old then said that fans should be embarrassed by their behavior, adding that she expects a much warmer reaction when she competes in Wimbledon later this year.
"What happened today, I have to say I didn't expect it. I did not, but I have no reaction to it. People should be honestly embarrassed, but this is not my call. I don't know. I feel fine," she opined.
"I'm pretty sure I would [get a different reaction] because Wimbledon banned them last year, and I think a lot of -- when I was in U.K. last year, the people were reacting to us differently even, like, I don't know, on the street literally. I felt a lot of support, so I'm pretty sure their reaction would be different," she added.
Aryna Sabalenka apologizes to fans for mistaking their boos after French Open win against Marta Kostyuk
While fans were not shy in expressing their displeasure at Marta Kostyuk's actions, Aryna Sabalenka misread their actions and thought she was the one being booed. Unhappy with that, she responded by celebrating her win with an animated bow.
Later, during her on-court interview, Sabalenka apologized to the fans for the misunderstanding.
"It was a very tough match. I would say, tough emotionally. And, I mean, sorry guys, I didn’t get it at first. I thought this ‘boo’ was against me. So I was a little surprised. But then, I felt your support. So, thank you so much for the support. Yeah, it’s really important. Thank you," she said.
Sabalenka will next take on qualifier Iryna Shymanovich, who defeated Panna Udvardy 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1 in her Grand Slam main draw debut
