Tennis player compares Ukrainian plight to Jews under Nazis as she refuses opponent’s hand
Marta Kostyuk snubbed Belarusian opponent Victoria Azarenka at US Open, comparing her decision to a Jew being expected to shake a German's hand in the 1940s.
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake the hand of her Belarusian opponent Victoria Azarenka after their second-round match at the US Open, comparing the decision to a Jew being expected to shake a German’s hand in the 1940s.
Kostyuk has been the most vocal critic of the lack of condemnation from Russian and Belarusian players to the invasion of her country. After Azarenka’s 6-2 6-3 victory, 20-year-old Kostyuk did not offer her hand to her opponent, instead holding out her racket for a cursory tap.
She later explained: “My nation is being killed daily. Imagine there is World War Two and there is a fundraiser for Jewish people and a German player wants to play. During the war, not 70 years after the war. I don’t think Jewish people would understand.”
Kostyuk added: “I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do in the circumstances I’m in right now. I don’t know any single person who condemned the war publicly, and the actions of their government so I don’t feel like I can support this.
“We had a great match, don’t get me wrong. She’s a great competitor, I respect her as an athlete, but that has nothing to do with her being a human being.
“People who didn’t watch the match will probably slam me and tell me, ‘She’s such a b***h, thank God Vika beat her, she talks too much, and it was a fair score’. But it was honestly a super close match.”
Kostyuk singled out Azarenka because of her profile and role on the WTA Player Council and believes she should have made more of an effort to speak personally to Ukrainian players.
Azarenka insisted she has offered help and support, saying: “I’ve offered many times through WTA, because I believe there is a sort of sensitivity. I’ve been told that that’s not a good time.
“I never had a close relationship with Marta. In March when everything happened, I have reached out to all the (Ukrainian) players that I personally know and I still have a good relationship with.
“I know she’s going through a lot of difficult situations. It’s not easy to handle. From my perspective, I wish she had somebody who guided her a little bit better.”
Kostyuk had wanted to meet Azarenka on Wednesday to explain she would not shake her hand but the players were not at Flushing Meadows at the same time.
On the lack of handshake, Azarenka said: “I wasn’t surprised. I always shake hands with my opponents. I had the same situation with (Ukrainian Dayana) Yastremska in Washington. I just move on. I cannot force anybody to shake my hand. It’s not the most important thing in the world right now.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
