Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk lost in straight sets in the second round of the U.S. Open to former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka on Thursday.
When the two players approached the net after the match, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Azarenka, who is from Belarus. The Ukrainian player raised her racket up to tap her opponent’s instead.
Belarus was sanctioned by the United States for its support in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which started in February. Azarenka has yet to vocally denounce Russia and Belarus’s actions, which has set many players off, including Kostyuk.
“It was my choice—I don’t feel like I don’t know any single person who condemned the war publicly, and the actions of their government, so I don’t feel like I can support this,” Kostyuk said, via ESPN.