"I mean it's just her": Frosty handshake drama as Paula Badosa claims no animosity from her towards former friend Marta Kostyuk
WTA
Paula Badosa prevailed over Marta Kostyuk at the 2025 Australian Open with the 11th seed claiming a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over the Ukrainian on the KIA Arena but aside from funny moments with Stefanos Tsitsipas, the main talking point was a cold handshake between the pair.
Albeit it is ground that has been tread before with Kostyuk avoiding eye contact with Badosa during most of their handshakes since the Russia-Ukraine war began. Badosa and Kostyuk used to be best of friends and played doubles together for a short time.
But with Badosa being best friends with Aryna Sabalenka, their friendship broke down as Kostyuk and other Ukrainians started to refuse to shake hands with Russians and also Belarusians at the outset of the war.
Asked about this, Badosa said that it is nothing to do with her she believes and gave Kostyuk the benefit of the doubt. She said that it is more personal issues she has over any animosity that Badosa harbours which she said isn't any.
Next up for Badosa will be the winner of Olga Danilovic or Paula Badosa and they sit inside of the section that features Coco Gauff. The third seed will face Belinda Bencic next round meaning we will either potentially get an all American affair with Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff or Paula Badosa could join the party.
Or of course Olga Danilovic and Belinda Bencic could rip up the script entirely but on the part of Badosa, it is yet another win and not animosity she wants to be drawn into.
"No, it's just her," Badosa said in her post-match press conference. "I think she has her own things going on with Ukraine, the war, and all these things that she's been very vocal about. I'm not in that, honestly.
"I think it was a bit that and maybe also that she lost a tough match, and also the conditions were tough for both of us.
"So I think it's a combination of everything, but I think I have nothing to do with that."
A bit of a cold handshake (they used to be BFFs).
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 17, 2025
Badosa looks a lot like Sharapova in this screen shot. pic.twitter.com/dzEL8fMmvI
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