Kostyuk renews ban demand for Russian and Belarusian players: "My family is in danger every single night"

Ukrainian No. 1 Marta Kostyuk spoke at an Australian Open press conference, once again voicing her stance that Russian and Belarusian players should be banned from the ATP and WTA Tours while the war continues. Tennis has been deeply intertwined with the geopolitical tensions since the Russian invasion nearly three years ago.

Kostyuk has previously refused handshakes with Russian and Belarusian players during the conflict, sparking controversies involving players like Elina Svitolina, Anhelina Kalinina, and Dayana Yastremska.

Kostyuk urges stricter bans as Ukraine war continues

In 2022, players from these countries were prohibited from competing under their national flags, a restriction still in place. That year, Wimbledon imposed a ban on them altogether, leading to the tournament being stripped of ranking points. Despite the ban being lifted in 2023, no further restrictions have been implemented.

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During the 2023 French Open, Kostyuk faced Aryna Sabalenka in the first round and was met with boos when she declined a handshake with her Belarusian opponent. Sabalenka later expressed that politics and sports should remain separate but respected Kostyuk’s decision.

"I will definitely say while the war is going on, there is no way we'll be shaking hands with them," Kostyuk stated at Melbourne Park. "I cannot say what will happen after the war. I cannot say. I will personally not shake their hands for the rest of my career. That’s my opinion."

"For me, nothing’s changed. I look at other sports like athletics, and those athletes aren’t there. I keep questioning why they're in tennis. What makes tennis different? Why are they privileged to be here and compete?"

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She added that the war remains a present reality for her. "In my case I definitely didn't forget about the war. I didn't forget about it because my whole family is in Ukraine ... and they're in danger every single night and I was in Ukraine myself a couple of months ago, I woke up from explosions in the middle of the night."

Kostyuk also reflected on the uncertain future with geopolitical shifts and leadership changes, including the upcoming U.S. presidency. She emphasized the importance of keeping the conversation alive. "I think there's still a lack of understanding of what these countries are doing, they just don't fully get it and that's very unfortunate because it's very close to Europe.”

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“It's much closer than everyone thinks so I don't know how things will turn around right now with a new president and everything, nobody knows what's going on,” the 22-year-old player said. "My position hasn't changed, thank you for your question, because I think it should be reminded again."

The World No. 18 reached the quarterfinals in 2024 and remains on track in the tournament with victories over Nao Hibino and Jule Niemeier. Her next challenge will be against the 11th seed Paula Badosa, who leads their head-to-head 3-1, including two wins on hard courts.

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