Sabalenka and Kostyuk Continue Tense Rivalry with Post-Final Actions

By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, January 11, 2026
Photo credit: Brisbane International Facebook

Action speaks louder than words.

Both words and actions amplified the intense rivalry between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk following the top-seeded Sabalenka’s triumph in the Brisbane final.

A frosty exchange followed the final.

Ukrainian Kostyuk continued Ukrainian players’ tradition of declining the post-match handshake with Belarusian and Russian players in protest of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of her home country.

Sabalenka, in an apparent dig at Kostyuk’s reported comments on some stars’ higher testosterone levels, kissed both of her biceps following her 6-4, 6-3 sweep and second straight Brisbane title.

During the trophy presentation, Kostyuk didn’t cite Sabalenka’s name, instead praising the spirit and pride of her Ukrainian compatriots and the pain she feels seeing suffering in her homeland.

“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” Kostyuk said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now, it’s minus 20 degrees outside right now, so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.

“I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian fans and flags here this week – Slava Ukraini.”

Asked about the lack of handshake afterward, Sabalenka, who congratulated Kostyuk in her speech and said she hopes they face off again, said it does not bother her.

The world No. 1 said she’s focused on playing tennis and not practicing politics.

“Well, it’s their position. It’s their position. What can I do?” Sabalenka told the media in Brisbane. “I don’t mind that. I don’t care about that.

“When I go into the match, it’s all about tennis and sport. When I go out there, I think about my tennis and the things I have to do to get the win. Doesn’t matter if it’s Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula there. I still go out there and I still try my best, and I’ll still fight for the trophy. I have nothing to prove. I go there and I just compete as an athlete.”

In her post-match press conference, Kostyuk said her position is simple: She has a public platform and believes she must use it to publicize the pain and suffering occurring in her homeland.

“I have just learned with the war and everything that’s going on that it’s really important to stand up for things and to talk about them, whether it’s war, whether it’s other beliefs, or the position that you have,” Kostyuk said. “No matter what it is, if it’s what you believe in, you have to talk about it.

“I think it’s really important for me also personally, because as I said on the court, my house, like the house where my parents live, it has heating, like they have generators, so even if there are blackouts, they can still push their electricity, so they can still heat up their house, but it’s still very cold inside. Like my husband’s parents are walking around in the jackets at home because of how cold it is.

“So, you know, I’m here, I do my job, of course, this is the most important thing, but at the same time, like, the reality back home is very, very different. So I just, I feel like I cannot ignore it and I have to share it. I have platform for this, and I have voice.”