The French Open began on a note of controversy after Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine said that spectators who booed her after she refused to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka, the Belarusian second seed, “should be embarrassed”.
Like other Ukrainian players, Kostyuk, the world No 39, has declined to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents since the Putin regime’s invasion of her country. But when the 20-year-old made straight for the umpire’s chair following her 6-3, 6-2 defeat, jeers rang out around Court Philippe Chatrier, stopping Sabalenka in her tracks as she mistakenly assumed she was the target of the crowd’s scorn.
In the confusion that followed, Sabalenka sought guidance from the chair umpire – “Was that for me?” she asked – before performing a theatrical bow. But as Kostyuk departed to further boos, the penny dropped, Sabalenka returning to the court to acknowledge the crowd with greater sincerity.
After a major Russian drone attack on her home city of Kyiv only hours earlier, Kostyuk was understandably upset by the crowd’s reaction.
“I want to see people react to it in 10 years, when the war is over,” said the 20-year-old. “I think they will not feel really nice about what they did.
“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.”
Sabalenka, who acknowledged her bewilderment over the bizarre conclusion to the match, said she did not take Kostyuk’s refusal to shake hands personally and expressed sympathy for the Ukrainian over the manner of her exit.
“I couldn’t understand what’s going on,” said Sabalenka, who has an opportunity to overtake Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings over the next fortnight.
“We all know Ukrainian girls will not shake hands with us, so it’s kind of not a surprise for us, but probably the public today was surprised.
“They saw it as disrespect me as a player, so that’s why [they were] booing her. But at first I thought they were booing me. I was a little confused, and I was, like, ‘Okay, what should I do?’
“I understand why they are not shaking hands with us. I can imagine if they shake hands with us, what’s going to happen to them from the Ukrainian side.
“And I understand that this is not personal. I think she didn’t deserve to leave the court that way.”
Controversy was perhaps inevitable, given the underlying tensions surrounding the contest. Asked beforehand about the prospect of Kostyuk not engaging in the customary post-match pleasantries, Sabalenka said there was nothing she could do if her opponent hated her, adding: “I don’t feel anything like that to her.”
Kostyuk offered an intelligent and articulate response, rejecting Sabalenka’s suggestion that the boundary between sport and politics should not be crossed and arguing that the Belarusian, as a potential world No 1, had a responsibility to speak out.
“We’re talking about people being murdered and we hear, ‘Leave sports out of politics.’ War doesn’t choose if you’re an athlete when it comes to your home,” said Kostyuk.
“I’ve never said in an interview or in private to Aryna that I hate her. I don’t know how to comment on why she talks about it like that.
“For me, this is not about emotions, because hate is an emotion. It’s about respect.
“We aren’t at the level of kindergarten, when someone says they love you or hate you. Love and hate are emotions. Respect is not.
“I cannot respect this position when it comes to events that change the world like war.”
The exchange meant both players carried emotional baggage on to court and, while Kostyuk attempted to play like a woman with nothing to lose, standing well inside the baseline to return serve, her anguished expression told a different story. Even so, the Ukrainian is an imposing, athletic presence, and if ever there was a danger of Sabalenka getting the yips, the sight of the Ukrainian looming halfway up the court was always likely to uncover it.
Sure enough, a pair of double faults in the fifth game handed Kostyuk the first break of the match. From there, though, Sabalenka was devastating, turning on the power to run Kostyuk ragged as she reeled off six successive games.
Afterwards, Sabalenka was pressed by a Ukrainian journalist to spell out her position on the war.
“Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, supports the war” replied the Australian Open champion.
“Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it.
“Why we have to go loud and say things? This is like one plus one, it’s two. Of course we don’t support war. If it could affect anyhow the war, if it could stop it, we would do it. But unfortunately, it’s not in our hands.”
Kostyuk remained unmoved when Sabalenka’s words were put to her.
“You know, she never says that she personally doesn’t support this war,” said Kostyuk. “She should talk for herself I think, first of all. Then, talk about all the other athletes.
“I personally know athletes from tennis that support the war. To say ‘nobody’ is a little bit strong, because I think you can only speak for yourself.”
Elsewhere, Maria Sakkari, the eighth seed, was beaten by the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova for the second year in a row.
“I knew what to expect from her,” said Muchova, the world number 43, following her 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory.
“We played last year I think twice on the clay [in Madrid and Paris]. Actually, I rewatched some matches, and I just stuck to the plan to be aggressive, mix it up with slices, drop shots, to get her out of the rhythm.”
Jessica Pegula, the third seed, came through a tough first-round assignment against Danielle Collins, the former world No 7, 6-4, 6-2.
In the men’s draw, fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was made to work hard by Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, a former world No 35 now languishing at 455 after struggling with injury since last year’s US Open. Tsitsipas, a finalist at Roland Garros two years ago, prevailed 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7) to set up a second-round meeting with Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena.