Marta Kostyuk moved into the second round of the French Open after a straight-sets win over Oksana Selekhmeteva, but the result was only part of a far more emotional day for the Ukrainian player. Before stepping on court at Roland Garros, she learned that a missile had struck close to her parents’ home in Ukraine.
The 15th seed beat Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 on Court Simonne-Mathieu, then spoke openly about how the news had affected her. Kostyuk said she spent part of the morning crying after receiving a message at 8 a.m., and described the match as “one of the most difficult” of her career.
A morning filled with fear
Kostyuk said the missile landed about 100 meters from her parents’ house, leaving her shaken before the first-round match even began. She said the strike could easily have caused a far worse outcome, adding that if it had been closer, she might not have had her mother and sister with her anymore.
Her mother, sister and great aunt were inside the house at the time, along with 17 people in total, and Kostyuk said she felt relief that no one was injured. Despite the emotional toll, she decided to play, explaining that everyone was alive and that going onto the court was the right thing to do.
Playing through emotion
After the match, Kostyuk thanked the crowd and received a warm ovation, a response that appeared to help her hold back more tears. She said Ukrainian resilience gave her strength, pointing to the people at home who keep living and helping others despite the war.
Kostyuk also said she expected strong support from fans with Ukrainian flags in the stands, and noted that friends from Ukraine were present as well. That backing, combined with her own sense of responsibility, helped her focus enough to complete the opening-round victory.
Roland Garros continues under heat and pressure
Kostyuk’s emotional win came on a day when players across the draw also had to deal with heavy conditions in Paris. Temperatures reached 33 degrees Celsius, and several matches were affected by the heat as players and spectators tried to stay cool and hydrated.
Frenchman Arthur Gea took an emergency bathroom break early in his loss to Karen Khachanov, while Canadian Gabriel Diallo retired against James Duckworth and said the heat was the main reason. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also battled the conditions before edging Damir Dzumhur in five sets, saying the jump in temperature from Hamburg caught him off guard.
Big names and early exits
Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic opened his campaign with a four-set win over home player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his record 82nd Grand Slam appearance. Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev also advanced in the opening matches on the main courts.
The women’s draw produced several notable results as well, with former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, along with former French Open runners-up Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin, all losing in the first round. Hailey Baptiste upset 2021 champion Barbora Krejčíková, while Marie Bouzkova and Wang Xinyu also reached the second round.
Kostyuk will next face unseeded American Katie Volynets, carrying both a win and the emotional weight of a difficult morning into the next round at Roland Garros.
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