"What can I do? I don’t mind it, I don’t care about it" - Sabalenka shrugs off contentious Kostyuk actions at end of Brisbane International final

Aryna Sabalenka was not fazed with the actions of Marta Kostyuk after her winning the title in the Brisbane International, with the Ukrainian not offering her opponent a handshake or even any gratitude or congratulations in her speech.

She had a brilliant week in Australia, defeating the likes of Amanda Anisimova, Mirra Andreeva and Jessica Pegula enroute to a final against the four time grand Slam champion. Despite these wins, Sabalenka proved way too strong for her, winning 6-4, 6-3.

It is a successful title defence after her successes of last year. "It’s super special. I’m happy to hold this trophy and to start the season on a very strong note," she said in her press conference. "I’m really happy with the level I was able to show throughout the week. I can’t complain."

It is the fifth time in the last eight years where Sabalenka has begun the year with a title. 2026 is no difference as she makes a statement for the upcoming Australian Open.

Despite this imperious form she is showing on the court, she is taking nothing for granted. "It’s tennis, it’s sport, and that’s why it’s so beautiful — you cannot predict anything. Every day you go out there and you prove your level," she said.

"This week I did it really well, but nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future. The only thing I’m sure of is that I’ll be there, I’ll be fighting, and I’ll do my best to go as far as possible and do a little bit better than I did last year. My focus is on my game, on developing myself, and making sure I’m strong and healthy heading into the Australian Open."

Back in October at the Wuhan Open, Kostyuk was misinterpreted after it was reported she had answered a question feeling intimidated by the world number one and two (Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek) by referencing testosterone levels and physical differences. It caused a lot of controversy, with Sabalenka even responding later in the year.

It looked like she was taking another dig at Kostyuk after clinching the title by kissing her bicep, but that was not the reason she did that. "No. During the game I made a lot of aggressive, heavy winners and I wanted to see the speed, so I was just having fun with my team," she cleared up.

She has worked very hard to become the aggressive powerhouse many recognise her as when competing. She was happy that people were noticing. "I’m happy you saw that. It’s something I’ve been working on for a very long time — probably my whole life — but it didn’t always work for me," she admitted.

"A couple of years ago I finally found my touch game. I changed my game style. Now I’m not only an aggressive player: I can play at the net, I can defend, I can use my slice, and I have good touch. I’ve worked my whole career to have that variety — to have A, B and C plans in a match. I’m super happy things are clicking together, and hopefully I can keep getting better in those parts of my game."

The main talking point about the match came when Kostyuk opted against shaking the hand of her opponent or even acknowledging her in the interview following her being awarded the runner-up trophy.

The reason for this is due to the war in Ukraine. Kostyuk, who is Ukrainian, has made a trend of not shaking hands with anyone she faces who is Russian or Belarusian. This includes Sabalenka, but she is not letting that affect her, with it not in her hands.

"That’s their position. What can I do? I don’t mind it, I don’t care about it," she stated. "When I go into a match, it’s all about tennis and sport. I focus on my game and what I need to do to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula on the other side — I go out there, I compete, and I fight for the trophy. I have nothing to prove. I just compete as an athlete."