Following their second-round encounter at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk, currently ranked 27th in the world, shook hands with Daria Kasatkina, the world No. 15.
Kostyuk had previously refrained from shaking hands with players representing Russia and Belarus. However, the situation is different as Daria Kasatkina changed her citizenship in 2025 and now represents Australia. Before the match, the Ukrainian player stated that she respects Kasatkina`s decision and called her action brave.
The match itself concluded with Kostyuk securing a victory in straight sets. Kasatkina`s participation in the Rome tournament ended following this defeat.
