PARIS — Marta Kostyuk said a missile strike near her family’s home in Ukraine made her first-round victory at the French Open one of the most emotionally difficult matches of her career.
Kostyuk, the No. 15 seed, defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 on Sunday at Roland Garros, but said she received news earlier in the day that a missile struck a building about 100 meters from her parents’ residence.
She said her mother, sister and other relatives were inside the home at the time of the strike but were not injured.
Kostyuk said she received the message about the incident at around 8 a.m. and said she struggled to prepare for her match.
“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career,” Kostyuk said. “This morning, 100 meters away from my parents’ house, the missile destroyed the building.”
She said she considered the possible consequences of the strike before playing.
“If it was 100 meters closer, I probably wouldn’t have a mom and a sister today,” she said.
Despite the emotional strain, Kostyuk said she chose to compete, citing her family’s safety and resilience as motivation.
“I think it’s important to keep going,” she said.
Kostyuk received applause from spectators after the match and described drawing support from fans and fellow Ukrainians in attendance.
She will face either American Katie Volynets or Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the second round.
In other action at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the opening round for his 82nd Grand Slam win.
Temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) affected multiple matches, with several players citing heat-related difficulties, including retirements and mid-match breaks.
