Marta Kostyuk wins her first Masters 1000 title on the WTA Tour. There was no handshake after the final with her Russian opponent.
Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk has confirmed her strong form and celebrated the biggest success of her tennis career to date.
The 23-year-old won the high-stakes WTA tournament in Madrid on Saturday, defeating Russia’s Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in the final. For Kostyuk, it was her first appearance in a final at the highest WTA 1000 level—and her first triumph right off the bat.
Tennis: No handshake between Kostyuk and Andreeva
After 1 hour and 21 minutes, Kostyuk converted her third match point, sank happily to the ground—and celebrated the victory shortly afterward with a backflip. She declined to shake hands with her Russian opponent.
There had already been no handshake following her semifinal victory over Russian-born Anastasia Potapova (who now plays for Austria). The reason is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Since then, Kostyuk has repeatedly declined to shake hands with Russian opponents.
Before the French Open: Kostyuk Confirms Strong Form – Lys Out in Round One
Three weeks before the start of the French Open, Kostyuk once again turned heads: Most recently, she had also won the tournament in Rouen on clay. Andreeva, seeded ninth in Madrid, had actually been the tournament favorite since world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s quarterfinal exit.
Laura Siegemund, the top-ranked German, was eliminated in the second round, while Eva Lys and Tatjana Maria saw their Madrid campaigns end in the first round.
