Daria Kasatkina has told fans to expect Ukrainian players to take a stand at Wimbledon by refusing to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opposition. Kasatkina also called on her compatriots to respect their position as she hopes to avoid a repeat of the French Open, where she was booed off earlier this month.
Kasatkina made it to the fourth round at Roland Garros before losing to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who had already made it clear that she would not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents at the tournament.
The pair flashed a thumbs up at one another instead of the customary handshake, with Kasatkina left ‘bitter‘ at subsequently being booed off the court. The 26-year-old faced another Ukrainian at Eastbourne this week as she dispatched Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets, with British fans more forgiving than those at the French Open.
With Wimbledon soon to get underway, Kasatkina expects more of the same. “It was a bit tough leaving Roland Garros, my favorite tournament, the way I left the court,” she told reporters.
“But I understand that maybe in France the fans there are not so much involved in the situation like they are here in the UK, so that’s my explanation. Of course it feels much better to experience something like I experienced [in Eastbourne], because the situation is pretty obvious.
“The stand of the players from Ukraine was pretty clear, and we have to accept it and respect this position. Yeah, we have to do it and also the fans, they have to expect this. Yeah, I was glad to have this kind of reaction here.”
Kasatkina has previously spoken out against Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, admitting that ‘it feels s***‘ and expressing concerns about her loved ones, who are still in Russia. The world No 11, who has never made it beyond the quarter finals at SW19, claims that the conflict is yet to affect her in competition, however.
“So far, thank God, when I’m on the court, I’m not thinking about it,” she added. “When I’m on the court, I am in a different state of mind, which actually helps me to turn off from all this. Since the beginning of the war, I have actually been following everything every day. It’s a lot.
“So I was overwhelmed in some moments, I’m trying to turn off my head at least on the tennis court. It help me a lot. Also the people around me, they are trying to make the atmosphere normal, because as I said, it’s been a tough year for most of us. It’s very important to have a good atmosphere in the team.”
Kasatkina’s next assignment is against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday as she looks to continue her run at Eastbourne and boost her preparation for Wimbledon.
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