Russian Daria Kasatkina left French Open with 'very bitter feeling' after being booed

Russian Daria Kasatkina said she left the French Open "with a very bitter feeling" after she was booed leaving the court following her fourth-round loss against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

After losing 6-4, 7-6 Sunday, Kasatkina, the world’s No. 9-ranked player, gave Svitolina a thumbs-up gesture, and Svitolina was seen also giving a thumbs-up. This came after Svitolina said previously she would not shake the hands of any Russian or Belarusian players at the French Open because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After each player gave the thumbs-up, the crowd at Roland-Garros booed Kasatkina.

Kasatkina said on Twitter Monday she was booed for respecting Svitolina's decision not to shake hands.

"Leaving Paris with a very bitter feeling," Kasatkina said. "All this days, after every match I’ve played in Paris I always appreciate and thanked crowd for support and being there for the players. But yesterday I was booed for just being respectful on my opponents position not to shake hands.

"Me and Elina showed respect to each other after a tough match but leaving the court like that was the worse part of yesterday. Be better, love each other. Don’t spread hate. Try to make this world better," Kasatkina added. "I will love RG no matter what, always and forever. See u next year"

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Svitolina: Kasatkina 'a brave one'

Kasatkina, who announced in July she was dating former Olympic figure skater Natalia Zabiiako, has been critical of Russia's attitude toward LGBTQ+ people and the war in Ukraine, while expressing support for her Ukrainian colleagues. According to multiple reports, she hasn't been back in Russia since the war began in February 2022.

After the win, Svitolina commended Kasatkina for her stance regarding the war.

“Really thankful for her position that she took. She’s (a) really brave person to say it publicly, that not so many players did,” Svitolina said. “She’s a brave one.”

Russian invasion of Ukraine hangs over French Open

The war in Ukraine has been the center of political conversations at the French Open. Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk was booed after she avoided a handshake and eye contact following her first-round loss to the world’s No. 2-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka, who is from Belarus.

After Sabalenka's second-round victory, the 2023 Australian Open winner skipped her post-match press conference, citing her safety. After defeating Kostyuk, a Ukrainian journalist pressed Sabalenka about her home country and its actions.

Sabalenka will face Svitolina in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Tuesday.

Contributing: Dan Wolken

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian Daria Kasatkina leaves French Open 'bitter' after fans boo her