Marta Kostyuk described her French Open first-round victory as “one of the most difficult matches” of her career after learning that a Russian missile strike had hit close to her parents’ home in Kyiv on the morning of the match.
The Ukrainian star overcame Russian-born Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 to progress to the second round at French Open, but the emotional circumstances surrounding the contest left the world number 15 in tears during her post-match interview.
Russia reportedly launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine involving drones and missiles, with fatalities and injuries reported across the country, including in Kyiv, where Kostyuk was born.
Speaking emotionally to the crowd after the victory, the 23-year-old revealed how close the attacks came to affecting her family directly.
“This morning, 100 metres away from my parent’s house, a missile destroyed the building,” Kostyuk said.
“It was a very difficult morning for me. I didn’t know how this match would turn out for me or how I would handle it.”
The Ukrainian added that she had been crying throughout the morning before stepping onto court and dedicated her thoughts to those affected by the attacks rather than focusing on her tennis performance.
“All my heart and all my thoughts go to the people of Ukraine today,” she said to loud applause from spectators.
Selekhmeteva was competing under the Spanish flag for the first time after recently switching sporting nationality, but Kostyuk maintained the stance adopted by many Ukrainian players since the beginning of the war by not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents after the match.
Kostyuk has remained one of the most outspoken figures in tennis regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the conflict began in 2022.
“My biggest example is the Ukrainian people,” she continued.
“I woke up this morning and looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their lives, kept helping people who are in need.”
Despite the emotional strain, Kostyuk produced another strong display on clay to continue her excellent 2026 form. Only Mirra Andreeva has recorded more wins on clay on the WTA Tour this season than the Ukrainian.
Kostyuk, who remains unbeaten on clay this year, will now face either Katie Volynets or Clara Burel in the second round as she continues her campaign at Roland Garros.
