MOSCOW, Sep 2Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka said she was not surprised when Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her at the end of the match at the US Open, calling this act not the most important thing in the world at the moment. On Thursday, former world number one Azarenka beat Kostyuk in the second round US Open with a score of 6:2, 6:3. After the match, Kostyuk refused the traditional handshake with Azarenka. Tennis players just touched their rackets.Grand SlamsUS Open WTA01 september 2022 • start at 18:10FinishedMarcha KostyukUkraine0:22:63:6Victoria AzarenkaBelarus»I wasn't surprised. I don't think it's important to make a big deal out of it. I always shake hands to my opponents. I had the same situation with Ukrainian (Dayana) Yastremska in Washington. It happened. I just move on. I can’t get anyone to shake my hand. It’s their decision. How did I feel? Now it’s not the most important thing in the world. I don't have to sit here and pat myself on the back. I am very clear about my actions,» Azarenka said, quoted by Eurosport. Azarenka is on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) players' council. «With all due respect, I don't think she has any idea what I'm doing on the player council because she's not there. So if anyone wants to talk to me, I'm always available. Because that it's part of my job to listen to the feedback of the players, and Marta is no different for me in this regard.I look at her as a tennis player, as a colleague.I can not force people to do what they don't want.But in any time she can dial my number as you know she texted me and everyone else too It's all I can do to help people I don't play political games I don't play media games that's not what I'm here. I'm a very direct person,» the Belarusian added. At the end of August, on the eve of the US Open, Azarenka was expelled from the list of participants in a charity tournament in the United States in support of Ukraine. Ukrainian tennis players, including Kostyuk, opposed her participation.
