Kostyuk on Kasatkina's Change of Nationality: "It Takes Courage and Deserves Respect"

This Friday, in the second round of the WTA 1000 in Rome, Marta Kostyuk will face Daria Kasatkina. The two have clashed six times before, but this will be their first meeting since Kasatkina's change of sporting nationality.

Previously representing her birth country, Russia, the world No. 15 confirmed in recent weeks that she will now compete for Australia with immediate effect.

Kostyuk, deeply committed to her country, Ukraine, has refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players since the war in her homeland began in February 2022.

So, will the world No. 27 shake Kasatkina’s hand after her change of nationality? Nothing is certain. However, the 22-year-old seems to have left the door open to the possibility. In an Instagram story, Kostyuk shared a message for her upcoming opponent.

"There are moments when silence means pretending nothing is happening. The war against Ukraine is not just ongoing—it is painful, unjust, and deeply real. It shapes lives, futures, and daily choices in ways many will never have to imagine. Some say sports should stay out of politics.

But this isn’t about politics; it’s about humanity. And when your country is attacked by an aggressor, silence feels like complicity. As an athlete, I believe in fair play and respect, but these principles mean nothing if they don’t extend beyond the court.

Since the start of the war, I’ve chosen not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players as a personal stance against Russian aggression. But when someone not only speaks the truth—calling Russia the aggressor—but also takes action, that deserves respect.

Daria Kasatkina has clearly stood against the war and decided to renounce her Russian sporting citizenship. That takes courage, and I acknowledge it. I hope this isn’t the last step but part of a deeper commitment.

I stand with Ukraine. I stand for truth, for dignity, and for those who choose to speak and act when it would be easier to stay silent," wrote Kostyuk, a quarterfinalist in Doha and Madrid this year, on social media.