Without handshakes, Ukrainian players trying to keep message alive at Australian Open

By SIMON CAMBERS
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Ukrainian player refusing to shake the hand of a Russian or Belarusian at the net has become a common sight on the tennis tours over the past two years. For those Ukrainian players competing at the Australian Open in Melbourne, it’s a gesture that has more meaning than ever. There was no handshake at the end of the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Lesia Tsurenko on Friday, nor after Marta Kostyuk and Elina Avanesyan played. Both Ukrainians did acknowledge their opponents. Two years on from the start of the invasion, the war continues but with Ukraine slipping down the news agenda, players are worried that their cause is being forgotten.