Paula Badosa says chilly handshake was all on Marta Kostyuk: She has her personal issues

Paula Badosa stated that the frosty handshake between her and Marta Kostyuk was all on the Ukrainian and her notion of some issues. 

Within the Australian Open third spherical, the Spanish tennis star beat the world No. 18 6-4 4-6 6-3 in a tough climate circumstances.

Moments after the match ended, the 2 shared a really frosty handshake. 

Badosa on the frosty handshake with Kostyuk at #AusOpen

“It’s just her. I think she has her own things with Ukraine, the war, and things she’s been vocal about. She lost a tough match, the conditions were tough – it’s a combination of everything. I don’t think it was personal.” pic.twitter.com/RtyImIlfh8

— Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) January 17, 2025

On social media, followers immediately assumed that Badosa’s shut friendship with Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka could also be one of many causes. 

For the reason that begin of the struggle in Ukraine, Kostyuk has been very outspoken concerning the matter and identical to the remainder of Ukrainian gamers, she hasn’t been shaking arms with Russian or Belarusian gamers for almost three years now. 

Requested about it in her presser, the world No. 12 confirmed that the struggle in Ukraine most likely had one thing to do with their handshake but in addition did not rule out that the Ukrainian was pissed off about how the match went.

Badosa: The frosty handshake did not have something to do with me 

“No, it’s just her. I mean, I think… She has her own things. Everything that’s going on with Ukraine, the war and all these things that she’s been very vocal about,” the 27-year-old defined.

“I’m not in that in that honestly, and I think it was a bit that and maybe also that she lost a tough match and also the conditions worked off for both of us. i think it’s a combination of everything but I think I have nothing to do with that.”

Paula Badosa© Australian Open/YouTube

 

In the meantime, this was the fifth assembly between the 2 and Badosa’s fourth win.

Within the Australian open round-of-16, the Eleventh-seeded Spaniard performs in opposition to world No. 55 Olga Danilovic, who surprised 2024 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula.