Yelyzaveta Kotliar is under investigation (Picture: @superliga_tenis/400mm.pl)
Ukrainian tennis star Yelyzaveta Kotliar is being investigated by her own country after shaking hands with a Russian opponent at the Australian Open.
It is common practice for tennis players to shake hands at the end of matches but Ukrainian stars across the ATP and WTA tours have an unwritten rule about snubbing the handshake after matches against Russian and Belarusian opponents.
That has been the case ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – which started almost two years ago and the conflict is still going on in eastern Europe – with Britain’s top general warning the UK public this week they may be conscripted.
Kotliar’s decision to shake hands with Russian star Vlada Mincheva after their first-round encounter at this year’s Australian Open has caused outrage in Ukraine with the 16-year-old’s father forced to defend his daughter’s actions.
‘The atmosphere here is extraordinary, which in itself puts a lot of pressure on the athletes,’ he said in a statement.
‘At the beginning of your career, it’s hard to cope with this and not be nervous. Unfortunately, my daughter didn’t feel calm, her emotions were running high, so she wasn’t completely in control of her behaviour.
‘She automatically performed the post-match ritual, not realising that behind the net there was a representative of the country who launched the attack on our homeland. It was definitely a mistake that Liza regrets and assures us that she will never allow anything like that to happen again.’
Russia launched their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)
The Russo-Ukrainian War has filtered into the tennis world ever since Russia first invaded with Russian and Belarusian players banned from Wimbledon in 2022 and they are still unable to compete under the flags of their respective countries.
There was controversy at last year’s Australian Open when Novak Djokovic’s dad was seen posing for pictures with spectators holding Russian flags while police were called to an incident involving Ukrainian fans during a first-round match.
There is still plenty of tension in tennis over the war with Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko refusing to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after her third-round loss at this year’s Australian Open on Friday.
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Speaking after the match, Tsurenko said: ‘It’s very hard for me. I know where they’re from, this is another reminder for me and it’s painful.
‘I feel like so many things that were so important for me are not important any more, like a tennis match.
‘I don’t feel like I really care about how I finish the match, what is the score. I care more about the fact I can be here and I can remind the world that the war is still on, I care about the fact that I can earn some money and I can donate and I can help other people.’
Her father has issued a statement.