The Latest Breaking News from Marta Kostyuk

The Ukrainian walked straight past her opponent at the end of Sabalenka’s 6-4 6-4 victory.

From the war raging in Ukraine to the unrest in Kosovo, geopolitical crises have cast a pall over the Grand Slam tournament in Paris, challenging conventions and shattering the notion that sport and politics can be kept apart.

Top tennis player Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus has been allowed to avoid a traditional postmatch news conference at the French Open after saying she did not feel safe when a reporter asked about the war in Ukraine during previous question-and-answer sessions

The Belarusian world No 2 beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2 but in a closed interview said: ‘On Wednesday I did not feel safe in press conferences’

Sabalenka was asked to condemn the war by the reporter during a tense exchange at Roland Garros

Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka declined to answer questions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after she won a match at the French Open

Elina Svitolina started her French Open campaign with a win but wants more than “empty words” in support of Ukraine

Discussions about the war in Ukraine on the tennis circuit avoid the important issues and are just empty words that do not support people who are suffering, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina said on Monday.

The Ukrainian has been the most outspoken critic of tennis’ reaction to the war in her home country.

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk took issue with the French Open’s notoriously fickle crowd, and players’ silence over the war in her home country, after she was booed off the court on Sunday for declining to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent on an otherwise unremarkable opening day at Roland Garros.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, two men expected to go far at the French Open, make their 2023 Roland Garros debuts on Monday against a pair of opponents who never have played a Grand Slam match.