Ukrainian tennis player says she hopes Russian, playing for Kazakhstan, will win US Open

It’s not all enmity between Ukrainian and Russian sports stars, as a surprising comment by Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk to Russian player Olena Rybakina shows.

In the first round of the US Open tennis championship, Marta Kostyuk lost badly, 2:6, 1:6, to Rybakinia – a Russian who obtained Kazakh citizenship and who now plays under that flag.

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After the match, during their handshake at the net, Kostyuk turned to Rybakina and said: "Win the U.S. Open, please," Kazakh website zakon.kz reports.

While performing under the flag of Kazakhstan, Rybakina was born in Moscow and changed her citizenship only in 2018. Russian media have reported that even after receiving her new passport, Rybakina continued to live in Moscow.

Neither has Rybakina been unequivocal in her condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin’s war of aggression – in fact, far from it.

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A year ago, when Rybakina won the UK open tennis championship Wimbledon, she was asked about the war in Ukraine at a press conference.

"Do you condemn the war and (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin's actions? People would like to know what your position is," Rybakina was asked by a journalist.

"Sorry, my English is not the best. I did not understand the question,” Rybakina answered.

“For my part, I can only say that I represent Kazakhstan. I did not choose where I was born. People believed in me. Kazakhstan supports me a lot. Even today I heard a lot of support. I saw the flags. So I don't know how to answer your question.”

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine