"Butthurt about Paula Badosa being friends with Aryna Sabalenka" - Fans react to Marta Kostyuk's 'cold' handshake with 'former BFF' at Australian Open

Paula Badosa and Marta Kostyuk's frosty handshake after their clash at the 2025 Australian Open has caught the attention of tennis fans. Many of them speculated that the Ukrainian's seeming animosity stemmed from Badosa's close friendship with Aryna Sabalenka, since Kostyuk has been outspoken about her refusal to associate with or shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Badosa and Kostyuk engaged in a closely contested battle in the third round of the Melbourne Slam, with the Spaniard winning the first set 6-1. After the Ukrainian dominated the second set to force a decider, Paula Badosa regrouped to claim a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory and advanced to the fourth round.

Following the match, tennis journalist Jose Morgado highlighted the "cold" handshake between the two players, despite their past friendship.

"A bit of a cold handshake (they used to be BFFs). Badosa looks a lot like Sharapova in this screen shot," Morgado posted on X.

Fans suggested that the tension between the duo was caused by Marta Kostyuk's disapproval of Paula Badosa's close friendship with Aryna Sabalenka amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"She’s butthurt about Paul being friends with Belarusian Sabalenka. The Ukrainian tennis players and tennis federation have lost their minds about the Russian/Belarusian players who have nothing to do with what’s going on with the war, sad!!" a fan commented.

"Because Kostyuk is ukranian and Badosa is a close friend of Sabalenka (from Belarus). It’s absurd," one fan posted.

"Because one cares more about politics than friendships. Sad reality," another fan chimed in.

"Badosa & Saba are best friends, Marta is extremely immature & can’t tolerate this because Aryna is from Belarus," a fan argued.

Several fans also criticized Kostyuk, perceiving her stance as unnecessarily hostile towards her "former BFF" simply because of Badosa's connection to the World No. 1.

"Love a charged match where the two of you were best friends and can’t stand each other now because one of you is best friends with someone the other hates….. that’s real entertainment," one fan commented.

"Tough moment between Paula Badosa and her former BFF, but that’s the intensity of the game," another fan wrote.

"Marta is so unlikeable damn! If she had her way, she'd also include badosa in the "no handshake" policy," a fan remarked.

"Imagine not talking to your best friend just because she is friends with someone from Belarus. I am so happy Badosa beat her today," said another.

Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka on course for blockbuster Australian Open SF

Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka - Source: Getty

Following her win over Marta Kostyuk, Paula Badosa will lock horns with Jessica Pegula or Olga Danilova in the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open. If the Spaniard emerges victorious, she will likely face Coco Gauff or Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Round of 16 after claiming a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Clara Tauson. The top seed and two-time defending champion will battle it out against Mirra Andreeva for a place in the semifinals.

If both Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka reach the semifinals of the Melbourne Slam, they will set up a blockbuster clash in the final four. The Belarusian holds a 5-2 lead in their head-to-head record, including a 7-5, 6-1 victory in their most recent encounter at the 2024 French Open.