Ukraine tennis star did not shake hands with Russian player: Marta Kostyuk won her first WTA title

Marta Kostyuk.

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine refused to shake hands with a Russian player after winning the WTA Finals. Marta Kostyuk won her first WTA title by defeating Russian player Gracheva 6-3 7-5 in the WTA Finals played in Texas.

Marta Kostyuk, 20, has been protesting against players from Russia and Belarus playing on the WTA since Russia invaded her country, Ukraine. After the win in Austin, Kostyuk shook hands with the umpire, but did not shake Gracheva’s hand. While Gracheva extended her arms twice, Kostyuk went straight to her chair after meeting the umpire.

Kostyuk dedicates victory to soldiers fighting and those who lost their lives
Kostyuk dedicated his victory to the Ukrainian soldiers and those who had lost their lives fighting the war. Kostyuk said, ‘Winning the title in the current situation is very special for me. The title is dedicated to the heroic soldiers and people of Ukraine.

The war has been going on for more than a year
The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for more than a year. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year in protest of joining NATO. Till now thousands of people have lost their lives in the war. At the same time, many cities of Ukraine have been ruined. People have even had to migrate.