Following their second-round encounter at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk, currently ranked world No. 27, extended a handshake to her opponent, Daria Kasatkina, the world No. 15.
This gesture was particularly noteworthy because Kostyuk had previously refrained from shaking hands with players representing Russia and Belarus. However, in 2025, Daria Kasatkina changed her citizenship and now competes under the flag of Australia. Before their match, Kostyuk had publicly expressed her respect for Kasatkina`s decision, describing her action as courageous.
The match itself concluded with Marta Kostyuk securing a victory over Kasatkina in straight sets, which resulted in Kasatkina`s exit from the Rome tournament.
