BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 12, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has defended her "conscious choice" to address the plight of her country during the trophy presentation of a pre-Australian Open event in Brisbane. Like many Ukraine players, Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russians or Belarusians following Moscow's invasion of her homeland. In her speech at the trophy presentation, the 23-year-old Kostyuk said: "I want to say a few words about Ukraine. Sabalenka, who has said in the past that she does not support the war, congratulated Kostyuk on reaching the final in her on-court speech. "For me, it's a conscious choice to keep reminding people of what Ukraine and its citizens are going through.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 12, 2026 04:39 UTC