SUMMARY
- The 2024 Australian Open junior girls singles match saw Yelyzaveta Kotliar taking the wrong steps against her opponent.
- Yelyzaveta Kotliar was carried away when she entered the courts at Melbourne.
The 2024 Australian Open will be pulling down the curtains in a few more days. The women’s semifinal fixtures have been fixed, while the men’s will be confirmed today. Alongside the WTA and the ATP tour, the juniors will be playing their quarterfinal matches soon. The junior girl’s draw began with a controversial move in the opening round between Yelyzaveta Kotliar and Vlada Mincheva.
Kotliar lost her first-round match against Mincheva and carried on with the handshake at the net. It did not go well for Kotliar as she was from Ukraine, and Mincheva was from Russia. The WTA tour has seen the no handshake policy for matches between Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian players. Kotliar is reportedly being investigated after her first-round match.
MAKE UKRAINE HUMANE AGAIN: 16-year-old Ukrainian tennis player Yelyzaveta Kotliar reportedly faces charges in Ukraine after shaking hands with a Russian player following the Ukrainian girls’ loss. The @Ukraine Ministry of Sports is said to have opened a case against her for… pic.twitter.com/URPjw3qdy2
— Lumumba Amin 🇺🇬 (@LumumbaAmin) January 22, 2024
Kotliar has since apologized for the handshake in the match. She was deeply sorry, whereas the Ukrainian tennis federation described it as an “unpleasant incident.” The teenager’s father, Konstantin Kotliar, mentioned that she was under pressure as it was her first grand slam match. He said that she did not have experience on the tour and would never repeat this in the future.
Dayana Yastremska gives her take on Yelyzaveta Kotliar at Melbourne
Dayana Yastremska has been one of the Ukrainian players who has been voicing their concerns about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She has defended the actions of her fellow junior player, Kotliar. Yastremska said that Kotliar was a young player and it happens to everyone.
Dayana said, “I cannot judge her, because I don’t know what was in her head. So did she [do] this on purpose or not on purpose, I don’t know. But I’m sure that she stands by Ukraine, and I’m sure that she just got too emotional and confused.”
The 23-year-old has been showing her support for Ukraine after every match by writing inspirational messages on the camera. Yastremska and other senior players on the WTA tour will be eager to help Kotliar understand the situation. The young player has received harsh comments on social media and will need the support of her seniors on tour.
The Ukrainian tennis federation has supported its player’s decision not to shake hands with aggressor countries. It has continued in the matches on the tour, although ATP and WTA have not made it mandatory. They stated it is a personal choice and cannot be forced upon an individual. The situation has been getting worse for the players on the tour with the conflict going on.