One Australian Open star has admitted she broke down in tears at 2am in a hotel room following an on-court speech earlier this year. The first Grand Slam of the tournament got underway on Sunday, with the biggest names in tennis vying for a spot in the history books.
Aryna Sabalenka is the clear favourite for the women’s draw, with the world No.1 having already picked up a title this year. She did so at the Brisbane International, defeating Marta Kostyuk in the final, with the Ukrainian having made headlines for her controversial speech following the Sabalenka defeat.
Kostyuk didn’t congratulate Sabalenka for the win in Brisbane during the speech, instead opting to focus on the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It drew criticism from the tennis world, with some suggesting it was selfish and unsportsmanlike for Kostyuk not to have wished Sabalenka well.
Breaking her silence on the backlash, Kostyuk told Ukrainian media outlet Tribuna: “I did not do a very smart thing – namely, I opened Twitter. I read all this beauty that people wrote. That night I slept very badly, I went to bed at 4 in the morning, I cried for about 30 minutes at 2am in the morning. For me, it is still so shocking and so incomprehensible.”
At the event in Queensland, Kostyuk had said post-match: “I want to say a few words about Ukraine. It’s very hot here in Brisbane, so it’s difficult to imagine this, but my sister is sleeping under three blankets because of how cold it is at home.”
Sabalenka brushed off the talk of the snub, saying at the time: “It’s their position. What can I do? I don’t mind that. I don’t care about that. When I go into the match, it’s all about tennis and sport. When I go out there, I think about my tennis and think about what I have to do to get the win.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula. I still go out there and try my best and fight for the trophy. I have nothing to prove. I go out there and compete as an athlete.”
It proved disruptive to Kostyuk’s Australian Open chances, as she lost in the opening round to Elsa Jacquemot. Meanwhile, Sabalenka had no such issues on opening day, as she defeated Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah in straight sets.