Marta Kostyuk Bothered By 'Terrible' Olympics Ruling On Russian Players

Women's tennis star Marta Kostyuk expressed her disappointment in the International Olympic Committee while at Wimbledon this Wednesday.

Ever since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian athletes have been competing without their flag next to their name. We've seen countless men's and women's tennis players, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, on tour without their full national identity.

Well, the IOC has told Olympic sports bodies that it's going to end Russian neutrality for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

After defeating Jasmine Paolini this Wednesday in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Kostyuk was asked about the IOC potentially reinstating Russian athletes' flag. The 24-year-old sensation from Ukraine didn't hold back with her response.

"My thoughts are that it's terrible. I think it's very very far from fair play, for all the countries involved here. Not just for Ukraine. I 100% don't agree with this decision. I feel like a lot of people spoke out on this issue and they obviously don't agree as well. I don't think anything is going to change," Kostyuk said. "I want to just go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in Olympics, and that's it."

Marta hasn't wavered at all.

Kostyuk, who is set to appear in the Wimbledon semifinals this Thursday, has made her stance on this situation abundantly clear over the past three years. She won't shake hands with Russian athletes as long as her country is under attack.

"The only person I shake hands with is Daria Kasatkina because she didn't just change her passport, but also openly said she doesn't support the war and all that," Kostyuk said. "That's why me and other girls decided to shake her hand, simply out of respect. … I don't necessarily recall [others] speaking out against the war. I don't know what their intentions were and they haven't spoken about it. It's just a flag next to your name, but I don't see it as a complete picture."

Despite what's going on in her home country, Kostyuk's play on the court hasn't been affected. If anything, she's playing the best tennis of her career.

Kostyuk is just two consecutive wins away from her first Grand Slam title.

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