Rome, 11 January (LaPresse) – Aryna Sabalenka, number one in the WTA rankings, triumphs in the WTA 500 in Brisbane, but this time the news is about an altercation with her opponent, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk. At the end of the match, won by the Belarusian in two sets (6-4, 6-3), no one missed the fact that the two did not shake hands. ‘I play every day with a heart full of suffering,’ said Kostyuk. "Thousands of people in Ukraine are without electricity and hot water, with temperatures below minus 20 degrees. My sister sleeps under three blankets because of the cold in the house. It's a very harsh reality.‘ Although Sabalenka congratulated ’Marta and her team on their incredible start to the season" and wished her all the best, the Ukrainian tennis player still refused the traditional photo together with the tournament trophies, and in the post-match interview, Sabalenka clarified: ‘It's their position. What can I do about it? I don't mind. I don't care. When I step onto the court, I only think about tennis and everything I need to do to win. It doesn't matter if Marta Kostyuk is on the other side of the net or Jessica Pegula. I step onto the court and always give my best. I have nothing to prove. I go out there and just compete as an athlete.’
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