Elina Svitolina called Russian Daria Kasatkina “brave” after an unfortunate victory at the French Open



CNN

Tennis player Elina Svitolina called my opponent Russian Daria Kasatkina, “brave” after the unfortunate victory of the Ukrainian on Sunday.

Svitolinawho previously said she wouldn’t Shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals, out of respect for the men and women defending Ukraine, told reporters that she “recognized” Kasatkina after the match.

Kasatkina has openly criticized the war, calling it a “nightmare” last year. The newspaper “New York Times.

Last month, Kasatkina, Russia’s best tennis player, also expressed her sympathy for Ukrainian tennis players who refuse to shake hands with her after matches.

“I am very grateful for her position that she has taken. She [a] really a brave person to state this publicly, which not many players have done,” Svitolina said after reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open.

“She’s brave.”

Instead of a handshake, Kasatkina gave her opponent a thumbs up at the net after losing the match 6-4 7-6 (7-5). She later said that she was disappointed to hear booing from some members of the crowd.

“Leaving Paris with a very bitter feeling. All these days, after every match that I played in Paris, I always appreciate and thank the fans for their support and the fact that they were next to the players, ”Kasatkina. tweeted Monday.

“But yesterday I got booed for being respectful of my opponent’s position and not shaking hands.

“Me and Elina showed respect for each other after a tough match, but leaving the court like this was the worst part of yesterday. Be better, love each other. Don’t spread hate. Try to make this world a better place.”

Kasatkina, who last year came out as a lesbian and criticized Russia’s attitude towards homosexuality, continues to oppose the war in Ukraine.

“The saddest thing is that the war is still going on,” the 26-year-old said last month. “Therefore, of course, players from Ukraine have many reasons not to shake hands with us. I accept it and it is. It’s a very sad situation and I understand.”

Daria Kasatkina gesticulates at the net after losing to Svitolina.

Playing in her first major tournament since the 2022 Australian Open and for the first time since becoming a mother, Svitolina said she was just focused on recovering and preparing for her next match.

“Of course, I would like to win here,” Svitolina said. “It will be a dream, but my career has always been step by step.

“I think this is the only correct way is not to look too far into the future, because otherwise you lose focus on the little things that bring you victory in matches.”

In the next round on Tuesday, Svitolina will play with Belarusian Arina Sobolenko.

World number 2 Sobolenko stopped participating at the usual post-match press conferences at the tournament after saying she did not feel safe at a previous press conference where she was asked about her country’s involvement in the war.

In March, Sobalenko said she found it difficult to understand the “hate” she faced in the dressing room amid strained relations between some players after the invasion of Ukraine – Belarus being used as a key foothold for Russia.

“I spoke about the military situation many, many times, no one in this world – Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – supports the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Normal people will never support this,” she said.

Russian and Belarusian players currently still compete on tours as neutral athletes without displaying their flag or country.