Key Takeaways
- Marta Kostyuk learned that a Russian missile struck just 100 m from her parents’ home in Kyiv only hours before her French Open first‑round match.
- Despite the shock and emotional turmoil, she won the match 6‑2, 6‑3 against Oksana Selekhmeteva, marking her first Roland Garros victory since 2024.
- Kostyuk said the incident was among the “top three worst” moments of the war for her, yet she chose to play to honor her family and the Ukrainian people’s perseverance.
- She criticized the WTA Tour for having “forgotten” the war, using her platform to keep the conflict in the public eye.
- The victory extended her winning streak to 12 matches, including recent titles at Rouen and Madrid, and sets up a second‑round clash with American Katie Volynets.
On the morning of May 24, 2026, just three hours before her scheduled opening‑round match at Roland Garros, Marta Kostyuk received a harrowing update: a Russian missile had detonated only 100 meters from the apartment building where her mother, sister and great‑aunt were staying in Kyiv. The strike was part of a broader barrage that saw dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones rain down on the Ukrainian capital, leaving four dead and 83 injured according to Ukrainian officials. Kostyuk, who had been in constant contact with her family throughout the morning, said she never considered withdrawing from the match once she confirmed they were physically unharmed, but admitted the news made it extraordinarily difficult to focus on tennis.
When she stepped onto the clay court later that afternoon, Kostyuk’s emotions were palpable. She fought through a wave of nausea and intrusive thoughts about what could have happened had the missile landed slightly closer. “I didn’t know how my focus was going to be, how I’m going to be able to control my emotions or my thoughts,” she confessed after the match. Yet she managed to channel that anxiety into a disciplined performance, defeating Oksana Selekhmeteva 6‑2, 6‑3 in just 78 minutes. The win gave her a much‑needed boost: it was her first victory at the French Open since reaching the fourth round in 2021 and ended a streak of only one win in her previous four appearances at Roland Garros.
In her on‑court interview, Kostyuk expressed pride in her resilience, calling the match “one of the most difficult of my career.” She emphasized that she chose to continue playing not only for herself but as a gesture of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, whose daily perseverance inspires her. “I’m still trying to do things that I can do and to do what I can to influence, and I use my platform, I use my speeches or, whenever I have a moment to remind about it, to remind of the horror of everyday lives of people,” she said, underscoring her commitment to keeping the war in the public consciousness.
Kostyuk also took the opportunity to critique the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, suggesting that the organization had moved on from the conflict after earlier fundraisers and awareness campaigns. “I think so, but you know, I live it anyways, and I have also adapted to the fact that the tour forgot about it,” she remarked. This perceived neglect, she said, fuels her determination to keep advocating for Ukraine whenever she has a microphone or a social‑media post.
The victory extended Kostyuk’s impressive run to 12 consecutive match wins, including back‑to‑back titles at the 250‑level Open de Rouen and the 1000‑level Madrid Open. She had withdrawn from the Italian Open earlier in May due to a hip injury, but her fitness and mental fortitude were on full display in Paris. Looking ahead, she will face American Katie Volynets in the second round, a matchup that will test whether she can sustain the high level of play she demonstrated despite the morning’s trauma.
Overall, Kostyuk’s experience at the 2026 French Open illustrates how elite athletes can intertwine personal crisis with professional performance. Her ability to compartmentalize fear, honor her family’s safety, and use her visibility to highlight an ongoing humanitarian crisis offers a powerful reminder of the role sports figures can play beyond the scoreboard.