Tug of war: Marta Kostyuk's stand against Russian players divides tennis fandom
WTAMonday, 18 December 2023 at 16:00
Bizarre tennis news on Sunday surrounded the Negometal Open e Bourge-de-Peage exhibition and Mirra Andreeva being forced to play an ATP player after Marta Kostyuk decided to withdraw last minute and despite the ongoing tensions and war between Russia and Ukraine, tennis fans were fed up with the latter on social media.
Kostyuk has long been a player against Russians being on the tour since the beginning of the war and was one of the first to refuse to shake hands with players from Russia which has seen booing at times. But Sunday was bizarre as Kostyuk would've known the circumstances. She had a bye directly through to the final and would've played either Varvara Gracheva (a former Russian) or 16-year-old Russian prodigy, Mirra Andreeva.
Kostyuk did this for a reaction believes one fan
"Getting a little tired of Kostyuk and her antics," one fan wrote on Twitter.
"It’s clear Kostyuk did this to cause this sort of “news”, she knew full well when she replaced Vekic that she will face Gracheva or Andreeva," another wrote. "It’s her choice at the end of the day to highlight her opposition to Russian players participation in this way, sucks for the fans."
One fan tried to defend Kostyuk saying 'why people expect a Ukrainian to play against a Russian is beyond me' but was answered by another fan who said that Kostyuk knew the circumstances. "Nobody forced Kostyuk to propose herself for an exhibition in which she knew since the beginning she was going to face a Russian player. Plus Andreeva is just 16 years old."
Kostyuk was further dubbed by multiple accounts a 'clown' and that she should be penalized for being perceived as bringing politics onto the court in this manner.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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