The second grand slam in tennis is up for grabs in both the men’s and women’s competitions as the French Open gets underway.
If Roland Garros goes well, Aryna Sabalenka might possibly become the world No. 1 player, but first, she had to win a challenging match against a rival who “hates” her. Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine eventually refused the handshake at the end of the match because of the involvement of Belarus in the war against her country.
After the match, Aryna expressed her feelings, adding that at a certain point, she believed that the crow was booing at her. Aryna commented:
“At first, I thought it was against me. But they gave me a lot of support, so it wasn’t for me. I understand the no handshake, but I believe sports shouldn’t be in politics. Whatever, if they feel better like that, I’m happy with it.
Sorry guys I didn’t get it at 1st. I thought this ‘boo’ was against me. So I was a little surprised, but then I felt your support. So thank you so much for the support. It’s really important.”
Aryna Sabalenka thought the crowd was booing her, but they were booing Marta Kostyuk:
“Sorry guys I didn’t get it at 1st. I thought this ‘boo’ was against me. So I was a little surprised, but then I felt your support. So thank you so much for the support. It’s really important” pic.twitter.com/Jql2VSycAr
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 28, 2023
Sabalenka at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2023
Now ranked no.2 (career-high), Sabalenka owns a 30-5 match record in 2023. Sabalenka is competing at the French Open where she beat the world no.39 Marta Kostyuk 6-3 6-2.
Aryna conquered 3 titles in 2023 in Adelaide, Australian Open and Madrid. Aryna was the runner-up in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open) and in Stuttgart (Porsche Tennis Grand Prix).
The Belarussian won 13 titles in her career: 9 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of her titles)
Marta Kostyuk in 2023
Now ranked no.39, Marta played her last match on the 28th of May when she capitulated to world no.2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2 in the 1st round of the French Open (draw).
At present, during this year Marta has a composed 18-12 win-loss record. Kostyuk has won 1 title in Austin.
Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk played each other only 2 times. Their current record is 2-0 for Sabalenka. Previously, the last time they fought against each other, Aryna Sabalenka won 6-3 6-2 in the 1st round in Paris (French Open) on the 28th of May 2023.