Controversy erupts in Australian Open as Lyudmyla Kichenok publicly accuses opponent of verbally threatening her
Lyudmyla Kichenok claimed her 2025 Australian Open third-round women's doubles opponent Kristina Mladenovic verbally threatened her mid-match. Kichenok shared her side of the story after she herself was accused of poor sportsmanship for refusing to shake Mladenovic's hand following the conclusion of the doubles encounter.
On Monday, January 20, Lyudmyla Kichenok and Chan Hao-ching faced Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai. The latter pairing clinched a 7-6(3), 6-2 win, but a moment of controversy marred proceedings. It involved Kichenok inadvertently hitting Mladenovic with a ball. In the immediate aftermath of the contest, the Ukrainian did not shake the Frenchwoman's hand. This resulted in criticism directed at Kichenok.
However, on Wednesday, January 22, the WTA doubles No. 4 shared two Instagram Stories, through which she recalled Mladenovic's threatening words to her that ultimately compelled her to refuse a post-match handshake. In the first post, Kichenok wrote:
"I would like to clarify the situation that has happened in my 3rd round Australian Open match against Kristina Mladenovic. Publicly accused of bad sportsmanship, I would like to say my word. I received very direct threat from my opponent during the match after unintentionally hitting her with a tennis ball."
"The response to my numerous apologies was, "You watch out next time". I don't consider appropriate the act of respect like shake of hands in the end of the match with people who use verbal threats. Period," Kichenok added.
The 32-year-old tagged the official Instagram handles of both the Australian Open and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in the post.
Lyudmyla Kichenok also listed how verbal threats violate sportsmanship, affect players and degrade tennis community after Australian Open handshake controversy
In her second Instagram Story, Kichenok wrote a list consisting of three points, which summed up the ill effects of verbal threats on sportsmanship, players' mental health, and also the tennis community at large.
Once again, the Ukrainian tagged the handles of the Australian Open and the WTA. Kichenok's post featured the following pointers:
"1. Violation of Sportsmanship: Verbal threats on the tennis court go against the principles of sportsmanship. Tennis is a game that encourages respect for opponents, officials, and the integrity of the sport. Threatening language creates a hostile environment, undermining the spirit of fair play and camaraderie."
"2. Psychological impact: Verbal threats can have a significant psychological impact on players. Tennis requires mental focus and concentration, and threats can disrupt a player's ability to perform at their best. It can create fear, anxiety, and stress, affecting their overall performance and enjoyment of the game."
"3. Deterioration of the Tennis Community: Verbal threats contribute to a negative atmosphere within the tennis community. Such behavior can discourage new players from participating and tarnish the reputation of the sport."
Another Ukrainian, former singles World No. 3 Elina Svitolina, stirred controversy at the Australian Open by not shaking opponent Veronika Kudermetova's hand following the pair's singles fourth-round clash. Svitolina has refused handshakes with players from Russia and Belarus in recent years over the countries' roles in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.