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Ukraine·France·Tennis·Armed Conflicts

Tearful Kostyuk wins French Open opener hours after missile strike near her parents' Kyiv home

Monday, 25 May 2026, 06:24 · 1 min read

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk (15th seed) fought back tears after winning her first-round match at the French Open in Paris on Sunday, having learned that morning that a missile strike destroyed a building just 100 metres from her parents' home in Kyiv, with her mother, sister, and great-aunt inside at the time. Kostyuk, who beat Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 at Roland Garros (the clay-court Grand Slam held annually in Paris), described it as "one of the most difficult matches" of her career, saying she had spent part of the morning in tears and felt physically ill at the thought of what could have happened. The result adds to a broader story of Ukrainian resilience at the tournament, where compatriot Elina Svitolina — fresh from winning the Italian Open last week — is also competing and has become a symbol of inspiration both for fellow players and for Ukrainians following the war at home.

Sources
France24Tearful Kostyuk speaks of Ukraine missile attack after 'most difficult' French Open win ↗︎
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