Kasatkina, a tennis woman who abandoned Russian nationality, finally "shook hands" with Ukrainian players

Dalia Kasatkina, who renounced her Russian citizenship to gain Australian citizenship in March this year, and currently ranked 15th in the world, shook hands with the Ukrainian player after the match. On the 9th local time, in a match in the second round of the women's singles on the fifth day of the Women's Professional Tennis (WTA) Tour 2025 BNL Italy International Tournament held in Rome, Italy, Dalia Kasatkina played against the world's 27th Ukrainian player Matako Stuk.

After the match, Matako Stuk shakes hands with Kasatkina (left).

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Matako Stuk has refused to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players after a match.

But in the day's match, Matako Stuk walked to the net to shake hands with Dalia Kasatkina after winning 2-0 (6-4, 6-2). Because Dalia Kasatkina became a new Australian citizen in March this year, and is no longer Russian.

Matako Stuk commented positively on Kasatkina's change of nationality on her social media before the day's match, saying: "I didn't shake hands with the Russians or Belarusians when the war started. But I should respect those who call Russia an aggressor, tell the truth and act. ”

Dalia Kasatkina is a professional tennis player who also publicly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine before her change of nationality. In his post-match interview, Matako Stuk also emphasized: "It's a pleasure to shake hands with the players I usually respect. Even if silence is the easier option, there will be communication and walking in the same direction as the person taking action. ”

This is the first time Dalia Kasatkina has faced a Ukrainian player since changing her nationality. Last September, Kasatkina also competed in the WTA Tour's Korea Open in Seoul, South Korea, where she finished runner-up in the women's singles.