Tearful Kostyuk speaks of Ukraine missile attack after 'most difficult' French Open win
Key takeaways
- By: FRANCE 24 Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in action during her first-round win at the French Open, on May 24, 2026.
- Read moreNo Alcaraz, no party?
- I didn’t know how I would handle it, I’ve been crying part of the morning.”
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
An emotional Marta Kostyuk fought back tears after her first-round win at the French Open on Sunday as she told the Roland Garros crowd about waking up to news that a Russian missile had struck near her parents' home in Ukraine.
By: FRANCE 24 Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in action during her first-round win at the French Open, on May 24, 2026. © Benoit Tessier, Reuters Marta Kostyuk’s first-round win at the French Open became one of her toughest matches after she found out beforehand that a missile almost hit her parents' home in Ukraine.
Kostyuk, who has not shaken hands with Russian players since the 2022 invasion, fought back tears after beating Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 on Court Simonne-Mathieu on the opening day of the clay-court Grand Slam at Roland Garros.