A controversial moment in a recent match has caused a lot of discussion. During the match, Kichenok accidentally hit Mladenovic with a ball, and later, the Ukrainian player refused to shake the Frenchwoman’s hand at the end of the match.
Mladenovic spoke about the incident in her post-match interview, accusing her opponent of unsportsmanlike conduct. She shared, “Well, if you want my real honest opinion I think the opponent team woke me up because they were a little bit showing unsportsmanship during my serve and I got really mad.
So I was like, ‘Okay this is how the match started’, and then it woke me up. I was very composed with my partner and we fought together to find a solution. That was a little trigger point for me and it woke me up. And it got better and better during the match. I’m pleased with our level.”
Kichenok Defends Herself on Social Media
Kichenok responded on social media, explaining that her actions were due to Mladenovic threatening her after the accidental ball strike. The Ukrainian posted on Instagram, saying, “I would like to clarify the situation that happened in my 3rd round AO match against Kristina Mladenovic. Publicly accused of bad sportsmanship. I would like to say my word.”
She continued, “I received very direct threat from my opponent 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 Lists the Impact of Threats
Kichenok further explained the impact of the verbal threat in her second Instagram story. She tagged the Australian Open, WTA, and Channel 9’s Wide World of Sports. She pointed out:
Violation of Sportsmanship: She emphasized that verbal threats go against the principles of sportsmanship, which is about respecting opponents and the integrity of the sport.
Psychological Impact: She stated that threats can affect a player’s mental focus, which is crucial in tennis, potentially harming their performance.
Deterioration of the Tennis Community: Kichenok argued that such behavior creates a negative atmosphere in tennis, which could discourage new players and damage the sport’s reputation.
Mladenovic and her partner Zhang were knocked out of the tournament after losing to Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in the quarter-finals. After the defeat, Mladenovic posted on social media, “Not meant to be yesterday! My first tournament of the year comes to an end! Many more battles to come!”
