Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk speaks about how a Russian missile strike near her parents’ home affects her ahead of and during her French Open appearance. Multiple outlets report that Kostyuk learned beforehand that a missile had struck close to her family’s home in Ukraine, and she later described the experience as among the most difficult moments surrounding her first-round match at Roland Garros.
Kostyuk plays Oksana Selekhmeteva in the opening round and wins in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, on Court Simonne-Mathieu. After the match, she tells the Roland Garros crowd that the news of the attack—coming shortly before she took the court—brought strong emotions, and she fights back tears while discussing the impact of the war on her life back home. Sources also note her status as a seeded player at the tournament and that Selekhmeteva is associated with a recent nationality switch from Russia to Spain.
Across the reports, Kostyuk is shown maintaining focus during the match while publicly addressing the war’s personal consequences.
