Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk advanced to the second round of the French Open on May 24, 2026, after defeating Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 in Paris.
The match took place amid overnight Russian missile attacks on her hometown of Kyiv.
According to the BBC, the large-scale strike involved hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.
The bombardment killed four people in Kyiv and injured at least 83 across Ukraine.
One missile struck just 100 meters from the residence of Kostyuk's parents.
The world number 15 became visibly emotional after securing her victory over Selekhmeteva, who recently switched her athletic allegiance to Spain.
Kostyuk maintained the policy of Ukrainian players by not shaking hands with her opponent.
"This morning, 100 metres away from my parent's house, a missile destroyed the building," Kostyuk said during her on-court speech.
The 23-year-old athlete has consistently criticized Russia and Belarus since the 2022 invasion.
"It was a very difficult morning for me, I didn't know how this match would turn out for me or how I would handle it," she said.
Kostyuk emphasized that her personal situation was not the primary focus of the day.
"I have been crying this morning. I don't want to talk about myself today," she said.
She redirected attention to the ongoing plight of her fellow citizens.
"All my heart and all my thoughts go to the people of Ukraine today," Kostyuk said.
The victory is Kostyuk's 12th clay-court win on the WTA Tour this season, a record surpassed only by Mirra Andreeva's 15 wins.
Kostyuk remains undefeated on clay in 2026.
"My biggest example is the Ukrainian people," Kostyuk said, noting the resilience of citizens enduring daily hardships.
"I woke up this morning and looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their lives, kept helping people who are in need," she said.
She acknowledged Ukrainian fans who came to Roland Garros to support her.
"I knew a lot of Ukrainian people would come out and support today.
My friends from Ukraine came to support and I'm very happy to have them here," Kostyuk said.
She reflected on the discipline required to compete under emotional distress.
"I'm incredibly proud of myself. I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career," she said.
This is the third time Kostyuk has reached the second round at Roland Garros in seven appearances.
Her next opponent will be either American Katie Volynets or French player Clara Burel.
