Kostyuk opens Roland-Garros with emotional win dedicated to Ukraine
A missile destroyed a building 100 metres from her parents’ home in Kyiv on Sunday morning. Hours later, Marta Kostyuk (No 15) walked onto Court Simonne-Mathieu and beat Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3.
Marta Kostyuk, Roland-Garros 2026 | © AP Photo/Thibault Camus
Marta Kostyuk woke on Sunday to news that a Russian missile had landed 100 metres from her parents’ building in Kyiv. Hours later, on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian beat Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of Roland-Garros, then turned her on-court interview into a tribute to the people of her country.
It was Kostyuk’s 13th consecutive win on clay, the longest streak of her 23-year-old career. She arrived in Paris off the back of the biggest fortnight of her professional life — the WTA 250 title in Rouen followed by her maiden WTA 1000 trophy in Madrid. A withdrawal in Rome only sharpened the focus on her Paris debut at a new career-high ranking.
Selekhmeteva, the world No. 89 who recently switched her sporting nationality from Russia to Spain, never settled. She finished with 13 double faults, 39 unforced errors and four winners — numbers that told the story of an opponent playing the tennis of her career on the other side of the net.
One of these horror mornings in Kyiv
The morning that preceded the match made the result almost secondary. Russia launched one of the largest combined drone and missile attacks of the war on Kyiv overnight, killing at least two people in the capital and damaging residential buildings, schools and infrastructure across multiple districts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed Russia had used the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile in the strikes.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself today. I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career,” Kostyuk said after the match. “This morning, 100 metres from my parents’ house, a missile destroyed a 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. I’ve been crying part of the morning.”
She made clear the win was not what she wanted to talk about. “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 go to the people of Ukraine today. Thank you so much for coming out. Slava Ukraini.”
Why it was important to play
Asked why it had been important to step on court at all, Kostyuk pointed to the people back home. “Because I think it’s important to keep going. My biggest example is Ukrainian people. I woke up in the morning today and I looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their lives, kept helping people who are in need. I knew a lot of Ukrainian flags would be here today and a lot of Ukrainian people would come out and support. My friends from Ukraine came as well. Very happy to have them here. Not much I can say.”
Kostyuk has only passed the opening round at Roland-Garros twice in five visits — her fourth-round run in 2021 remains her best result here. She will face the winner of the all-outsiders meeting between France’s Clara Burel and American Katie Volynets for a place in the third round.
