They were triggered after Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Sabalenka following her 6-3, 6-2 defeat at the French Open.

Ukrainians opting against embracing Russians and Belarusians at the net has been common on the circuit since they were given permission to play as neutrals.

As Ukraine's Elina Svitolina stated earlier this week, the refusal to shake hands was out of respect for the soldiers fighting in the war against Russia - yet the French crowd did not appear to get the message.

Sabalenka would have been expecting no handshake to come from Kostyuk but what she would not have expected was the reception from fans.

She initially thought the boos were against her as she tempered her celebrations following her victory and gave a sarcastic bow before departing.

Kostyuk, meanwhile, was left angered by the reaction of the crowd.

"People should be embarrassed," said Kostyuk.

"I want to see people react to it in 10 years when the war is over.

"I think they will not feel really nice about what they did."

Kostyuk was not alone in receiving such a hostile reception as some fans also jeered when Svitolina did not shake hands with Russia's Anna Blinkova after her comeback 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory.

It was completely bewildering but I don't think too much can be read into the reaction and it is just all part of the Parisian pantomime.

Some players have relished the atmosphere at Roland Garros while others have exited the stage in tears following a barrage of boos.

Looking back 20 years, I remember American Serena Williams being repeatedly booed throughout her semi-final loss to Belgian ace Justin Henin at the French Open.

Fans cheered when she made mistakes and heckled her until she fell to her first defeat in 33 Grand Slam matches.

Williams was unable hold back the tears after coming unstuck in such a hostile environment.

"I was really upset when they booed me," said Williams in a report by the New York Post.

"Once they got started it was hard to make them stop.

"It gets rather annoying if you're not serving well and you miss your first serve and everybody's booing and screaming."

Williams' mother, Oracene Price, slammed the crowd, saying there was "a lack of class and total ignorance or they just don't know tennis and the etiquette of tennis."

Russian Daniil Medvedev also found life tough when getting on the wrong side of the crowd at this year's tournament.

Fresh from winning his first clay-court title at the Italian Open, Medvedev would have been hoping to put together a strong run at Roland Garros but was sent tumbling out in the first-round after being stunned in five sets by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild.

It was a wild match with Medvedev notably telling spectators to "shut up" when they vocally disapproved of his decision to question the umpire over a line call.

This is a common occurrence at the French Open and unsurprisingly continues to frustrate players, including Serbia's Novak Djokovic, a man who usually embraces playing the pantomime villain character in matches.

"A majority of the people come to enjoy tennis or support one or the other player," said the two-time French Open champion.

"But they are individuals.

"There are groups that love to boo every single thing you do.

"That's something that I find disrespectful and I frankly don't understand that.

"But it's their right.

"They paid the ticket.

"They can do whatever they want."

French coach Patrick Mouratoglou has also been mystified by the response from the crowd.

"I don't understand why people are booing the player who asks to see a mark on clay," said Mouratoglou.

"It becomes systematic."

Perhaps the civil unrest in France at the moment with activists continuing to strike and protest reforms is adding to the anger expressed by spectators.

But, as forementioned, the booing is nothing new and is what you get if you rile them.

American Taylor Fritz certainly antagonised the French fans but appeared to relish his role as the villain when facing home favourite Arthur Rinderknech.

After coming from behind to defeat the Frenchman 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, Fritz shushed the crowd as he put his fingers to his lips at the end of the match before appearing to shout "Come on! I want to hear it", spreading his arms wide like an actor performing on stage.

The boos and jeers filled the stadium as on-court interviewer Marion Bartoli, the French 2013 Wimbledon champion, cut a frustrated figure as she struggled to ask her questions through the noise.

"I came out and the crowd was so great honestly," said Fritz.

"Like, the crowd was just great.

"They cheered so well for me, I wanted to make sure that I won.

"Thanks, guys."

I think we can all see the sarcasm in those comments but the Californian's response added to the spectacle - a moment that will long be remembered.

Fritz returned to Court Suzanne Lenglen two days later and his antics had not been forgotten as he was booed when he walked out for his match against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

He was laughing as he entered the court and knows he will need to do something special to get them back on his side.

Germany's Alexander Zverev may have come up with the solution - albeit jokingly - to the crowd conundrum.

"The atmosphere we get here we get nowhere else in the world," said Zverev.

"It's not nice when you guys are against us, it is very hostile.

"Maybe for the next 10 days I can become French."

If Zverev does start playing a comical French character on court that would definitely add to the whole pantomime.