Paula Badosa and Marta Kostyuk used to be very good friends but that is not the case anymore and it was obvious at the 2023 Italian Open.
At the WTA 1000 event in Rome, the two met in the third round, with Badosa taking out the 32nd-seeded Ukrainian, winning the match 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 32 minutes. And while the two used to be friends, their handshake told a different story.
After the match, the handshake was something that everyone expected and it was far from what we've seen in the past. The icy grip was a far cry from the emotional embraces the pair once shared. Their friendship used to be something that everyone knew about on the WTA Tour.
However, recent times had seen a notable shift. The pair that once spent countless hours together, sharing training sessions, laughter, and heartaches, were now distant. The cause? Not really known to anyone but quite obvious based on the circumstances.
Rumors have swirled around the WTA circuit, pointing to the burgeoning friendship between Badosa and Belarusian powerhouse, Aryna Sabalenka, as a potential catalyst for the rift. Since Kostyuk is a Ukrainian, Badosa's friendship with Belarusian Sabalenka probably wasn't well received and that's what may have caused the end of their good friendship.
Kostyuk has been one of the vocal players about her beliefs, and she even hit back at Sabalenka after the Belarusian's claims about feeling hate in the locker room. It's clear that there are certain tensions currently on the WTA Tour and it remains to be seen if the situation will change in the upcoming months.
Tennis, after all, is more than just a game of strategy and skill. It's a testament to human relationships and emotions, a gripping drama where friendship, competition, and personal beliefs collide.
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