French Open 2026: Who Is Marta Kostyuk? Ukrainian Star Seals 1st Round Win Amid Tragic Kyiv News

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk won her French Open first-round match despite receiving devastating news of a missile strike near her parents' home in Kyiv. In a post-match interview, she tearfully revealed the emotional turmoil she faced, highlighting her resilience and dedicating her thoughts to the people of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk broke down in tears over the devastating news from Kyiv on the morning of her opening round match against Oksana Selekhmeteva of Spain at the French Open 2026 on Sunday, May 24.

Kostyuk advanced to the second round of the women’s singles with two straight-set victory over Selekhmeteva, who acquired Spanish citizenship four days ago, 6-2, 6-3. Ukrainian star dominated the court with a composed performance, despite the emotional turmoil following the tragic news from the war-torn capital early in the morning ahead of her opening round.

The 23-year-old has made his seventh consecutive main draw appearance at the French Open, marking a significant milestone in her growing career. The emotional toll didn’t affect her performance, as she maintained her focus to secure a decisive victory in front of the crowd at Court Simonne-Mathieu.

Kostyuk Fights Back Tears While Recalling the Morning’s Attack

Marta Kostyuk displayed her mental resilience and unwavering professional focus, refusing to let the day's tragic events derail her pursuit of success at Roland Garros. Following her victory, the 23-year-old revealed the tragic news from Ukraine’s capital that left her shaken ahead of the first round match against Oksana Selekhmeteva.

Speaking during the on-court interview, Kostyuk stated that it was ‘one of the difficult matches’ of her life, as she revealed that a Russian missile had struck a building just 100 meters from her parents' home earlier that morning. The Ukrainian added that she whe was crying part of the morning and did not know how she would handle the match or if she would even be able to play.

“I’m incredibly proud of myself today. I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 meters from my parents’ house, a missile destroyed the building. It was a very difficult morning. I didn’t know how this match was going to turn out for me. I didn’t know how I would handle it,” Kostyuk said while fighting the tears.

“I’ve been crying part of the morning. I don’t want to talk about myself today. I’m very pleased to be in the second round, but all of my thoughts and all my heart goes to the people of Ukraine today,” she added.

Ukraine has been under attack by Russian military forces since 2022, facing a relentless and devastating conflict. In May this year, the nation endured an intensified campaign of aerial bombardment, with the overnight attack on May 24, involving roughly 90 missiles and 600 drones, standing as one of the largest and most destructive strikes against Kyiv and surrounding regions in the past year.

Who is Marta Kostyuk?

Marta Kostyuk was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, into a sports-oriented family. Her mother, Talina Beiko, is a former professional tennis player before becoming her coach, while her father, Oleh Kostyuk, was the technical director of Antey Cup, a junior tennis tournament in Kyiv. Marta began playing tennis at a young age under the tutelage of her mother.

Kostyuk rose up through the ranks of the junior circuit, achieving world-class status by winning the 2017 Australian Open girls' singles title at age 14. The 23-year-old’s major career breakthrough came when she reached the third round of the Australian Open at the age of 15 in 2018, becoming the youngest player to win a main-draw match in Melbourne since 1996.

In 2024, Marta Kostyuk reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinals at the Australian Open and her first WTA 1000 semifinal at Indian Wells, helping her break into the world’s top 20. In 2026, Marta clinched her maiden Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open, which was her first major title as a professional player, and propelled her to a career-high ranking of world No. 15.

Apart from her career, Marta Kostyuk has been advocating for her country's cause on the global stage, using her platform to raise awareness about the impact of the ongoing war on Ukrainian civilians. As a mark of protest, she refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players since 2022, with the sole exception of Daria Kasatkina, whom Kostyuk commended for publicly opposing the war and changing her nationality to represent Australia.

Meanwhile, Marta Kostyuk will face Katie Volynets of the United States of America (USA) in the second round of the women’s singles on Wednesday, May 27.