Kostyuk dedicates win to Ukraine after strikes 100 metres from parents' home

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• Published24 May 2026, 13:05 BST

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk says she is grateful her family are alive after Russian missiles narrowly missed their Kyiv home the night before her French Open first-round match.

Russia launched a wave of overnight strikes against Ukraine on Saturday, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.

Four people were killed in Kyiv and the wider region and about 100 were injured.

Kostyuk beat Russian-born Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2 6-3 on Sunday and gave an emotional on-court interview afterwards, describing it as "one of the most difficult matches" of her career.

The 23-year-old showed journalists in her post-match news conference a photograph of a building on fire just 100 metres from her family home, where her mother, sister and great-aunt were sleeping.

Kostyuk said none of her family or close friends had been injured in the attacks but remained "scared".

"Most of the morning I felt sick because I thought if it was 100m closer, I probably wouldn't have a mum and a sister today," Kostyuk said.

"I had to live through it, deal with it and go out and play.

"I didn't know how I'm going to be able to control my emotions or thoughts."

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Kostyuk said she did not consider withdrawing from the clay-court major after receiving news of the attacks.

"Not this morning, because everyone is healthy, alive, and never [needed to go] in the hospital," she said.

"But there were obviously times in the match when I would go back to thinking about it."

Kostyuk, one of Ukraine's most prominent players, has frequently spoken out against the Russian invasion, external since it began in February 2022.

Kostyuk did not acknowledge Selekhmeteva, who was playing her first match under the Spanish flag after switching allegiance earlier this week.

Ukrainian players have a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with opponents from Russia and its ally Belarus.

Kostyuk was cheered by the crowd during her on-court interview as she told them: "I have been crying this morning. I don't want to talk about myself today.

"All my heart and all my thoughts go to the people of Ukraine today."

The 15th seed later added: "I think [the damage] was the closest that it has ever been to my house, and this what probably makes it the most emotional.

"There are better days, worse days, but this one was in the top three worst days, for sure."

Madrid Open champion Kostyuk is one of the contenders for the Roland Garros title, having won all 12 of her matches on the clay this year.

Kostyuk, whose best French Open result was reaching the fourth round in 2021, will face Katie Volynets next after the American beat France's Clara Burel 6-3 6-1.

French Open

Sunday, 24 May - Sunday, 7 June

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