Kostiuk explained why she shook hands with former Russian player Kasatkina.

Marta Kostiuk explained why she shook hands with Kasatkina

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostiuk, in a post-match interview, explained the reason why she shook hands with former Russian player Daria Kasatkina. She noted that it was related to fulfilling words with actions that deserve respect.

“I think that if someone not only speaks the truth but also acts accordingly, that deserves respect,” Kostiuk stated.

Marta also expressed happiness for Kasatkina's decision to change her citizenship and now represent Australia. She mentioned her unfamiliarity with the real motives and intentions behind this decision but emphasized that it is just a change of flag in the passport.

Alexander Kozhevnikov's thoughts on Kasatkina's change of citizenship

Alexander Kozhevnikov, a Soviet and Russian hockey player, shared his thoughts on this situation, emphasizing the importance of love for one's homeland. He predicted that this could be just the beginning of similar changes in the sports world due to financial motives.

It is worth noting that Boris Yeltsin, the former president of Russia, left office in 1999 when Daria Kasatkina was only 2 years old. Yeltsin died in 2007 when Kasatkina was 9 years old.