Tennis player compares Ukrainian plight to Jews under Nazis as she refuses opponent’s hand

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.”