Ukrainian opponent refuses to shake hands with Hungary's Anna Bondár at tennis tournament in Cluj-Napoca

Hungarian tennis player Anna Bondár lost in two sets to her Ukrainian opponent Oleksandra Oliynykova in the round of 16 at the WTA tournament in Cluj-Napoca. After the match, Oliynykova refused to shake hands with Bondár or pose for photos because Bondár had previously participated in a Russian tournament, according to Eurosport.

Oliynykova told Ukraine's BTU about her reason for not shaking hands with the Hungarian athlete. The Ukrainian athlete said: “Anna Bondár participated in the North Palmyra Trophies tournament in December 2022 – an event held in Russia in open disregard of international sanctions and restrictions imposed on the aggressor state. The tournament was funded by Gazprom, one of the key financial pillars of Russia’s war machine.These are the same funds Russia uses to kill and maim Ukrainian women and children. These are the same funds used to destroy our parents, brothers, and husbands who are defending their families, cities, and villages on their own land.”

According to Oliynykova, Bondár's decision to play in Russia came after the world learned of the atrocities committed by the Russians, such as the massacre in Bucha. In her opinion, travelling to a tournament in Russia in December 2022 and accepting payment from Gazprom is “morally the same as traveling to a tournament in Nazi Germany in 1941 and accepting jewelry stolen from Jews murdered in the Auschwitz and Treblinka death camps as a reward. It's the same evil, just 80 years later," she said, adding that her decision was not personal but a matter of principle.

The Ukrainian athlete told the newspaper that "this is about humanity, human dignity, and basic human values", so she cannot ignore it, and neither should the global tennis community.

She said that "fans should not forget about it" either and added that this is why she cannot bring herself to take photos or shake hands with a person who has received money from sources directly linked to the war against her country.

Oliynykova admitted that it was possible that Bondár had made a mistake in her decision, but she believes it was an extremely serious one. The Ukrainian tennis player said she would be willing to shake hands with Bondár in the future if she publicly acknowledged her mistake, "if she apologized to the Ukrainian people, and clearly and openly condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the aggressor state, Russia, and the war criminal, Putin."

She noted that she is a member of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is ready to cooperate with the organization to protect tennis from actions that, due to their inhumane and anti-human nature, undermine its fundamental values.