Kostyuk Triumphs Despite Missile Strike Near Family Home
Seeded 15th, Marta Kostyuk secured a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Russian-born Oksana Selekhmeteva in the first round of the French Open. The 23-year-old Ukrainian described the match as one of the most challenging of her life, having played just hours after a Russian missile struck near her parents' residence in Kyiv.
Kostyuk, who regularly trains in Kyiv between tournaments, revealed the emotional toll during her post-match interview, struggling to hold back tears. Reports indicate that the missile strike was part of a broader wave of drone and missile attacks by Russian forces in Ukraine, injuring approximately 100 people.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself today,” Kostyuk said. “I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 metres away from my parents’ house [in Ukraine], a missile destroyed the building. It was a very difficult morning for me. I didn’t know how this match was going to turn around for me. I didn’t know how I would handle it.”
During her press conference, Kostyuk shared a photo from her phone showing the destruction near her family home, where her mother, sister, and great-aunt reside.
“This is what I received at 8:00 in the morning today,” she stated. “I had to live through it and deal with it and go out and play. I didn’t know what to expect from myself. I didn’t know how my focus is going to be, how I’m going to be able to control my emotions or my thoughts.
“There were obviously times in the match when I would go in back to thinking about it, because most of the morning I felt sick just for my thought that if it was 100 metres closer, I probably wouldn’t have a mom and a sister today.”
Context of the Match and Nationality Issues
The match underscored the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as Kostyuk's opponent, Selekhmeteva, is Russian-born and had represented Russia throughout her career before switching nationality to Spain just before the tournament. Several Russian players have changed nationalities recently, often due to visa difficulties associated with holding a Russian passport.
Kostyuk has maintained her stance of refusing to shake hands with Russian-born players who have not publicly opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She did not shake hands with Selekhmeteva following the match.
Kostyuk on War's Impact and Resilience
Four years into the war, Kostyuk spoke about the exhaustion and emotional strain caused by the constant threat to her family, combined with anger and determination.
“It’s definitely exhausting, especially when it repeatedly is happening over the night, nobody is sleeping well. People are just more irritated and scared. But generally, everyone is really angry, and everyone just wants to keep going. Everyone is trying to help whoever they need to help, and that’s it. People are very resilient, and this is something to learn from them, for sure.”
Kostyuk is currently in excellent form, having won the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 event in Rome earlier this month. This victory followed a title in Rouen, extending her winning streak to 13 matches.
Other Tournament Highlights: Gea's Bathroom Incident
The tournament also featured a notable incident involving French wildcard Arthur Gea, who faced 13th seed Karen Khachanov. During the second set, Gea urgently requested to leave the court due to severe diarrhoea.
“I’ve got the shits. I need to go to the bathroom, I can’t move any more, I’m going to shit on the court,” Gea said during the match.
Gea, who ultimately lost 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0, was permitted to leave the court on medical grounds while trailing 2-4 in the second set.
“I was feeling really, really bad,” Gea explained. “This morning in particular, but during the match it was even worse because it was a bit hot. And I had to go to the toilet really quick and they didn’t allow it. So I was asking the referee because I was feeling really, really bad. And then the doctor came and obviously I could go out. And it was not so long, so I was good.”
This roundup will be updated later on Sunday.
