Aryna Sabalenka spoke about the possible absence of a handshake from her first-round match at the 2023 Roland Garros.
The World No. 2 is set to take on Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine. The two players come from countries currently in conflict, which has manifested itself in the world of professional tennis, creating a unique dynamic ahead of their first-round clash.
Over the past few years, tensions among players competing on the WTA Tour have been palpable. Marta Kostyuk, in particular, has been vocal about her views on her opponents from Russia and Belarus.
But Sabalenka recently clearly shared her views and the Belarusian was asked about whether she received any reaction from Marta Kostyuk after she stated that she wanted the war to end. She was also asked about the possible absence of the handshake and said that it was something that she was ready to accept.
"Well, I don't know if there was any reaction from her. But yeah, that's true if I could I would stop it. And about the no shaking, I kind of can understand them. Like I imagine they're going to shake hands with Russians and Belarusians, and then they're gonna get so many messages from their home countries."
Sabalenka even said that she understands why Ukrainian players elect not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes, but at the same time, she emphasized that in her opinion, politics and sports shouldn't mix.
"So I kind of understand why they are not doing it. At the same time, I feel like sports shouldn't be in politics. Like we're just athletes. If they feel good with no shaking hands, I'm happy with that."
It will be interesting to see how the match unfolds and if we'll see a handshake after it's over. It's very likely that it won't happen and even Sabalenka showed that she's ready for it, despite being clear about her views.
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