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🇦🇺 Australia /Conflict & Security

Kostyuk reaches Wimbledon semis amid Kyiv attacks, criticizes IOC

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk reached the Wimbledon semifinals while Russian attacks continued in her home country.
  • Kostyuk described the difficulty of focusing on tennis amidst news of deadly strikes on Kyiv, including near her parents' home.
  • She expressed strong disagreement with the IOC's provisional lifting of the ban on Russian athletes, stating she wants to beat them in the Olympics.

Marta Kostyuk is navigating the emotional toll of war while competing at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals for the first time.

It's not easy to disconnect entirely.

— Marta KostyukKostyuk described the difficulty of focusing on tennis while aware of the ongoing attacks in her home country.

As Russian attacks on Kyiv intensified, including strikes near her parents' home, Kostyuk has had to find a way to focus on her tennis. She described the challenge of disconnecting from the ongoing conflict, especially after recent deadly assaults on residential buildings in the capital.

"It's not easy to disconnect entirely," Kostyuk said after her quarterfinal win. "It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then on Monday they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like five kilometres away from where my parents live."

It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then on Monday they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like five kilometres away from where my parents live. Again, another difficult night and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It's not easy. I try to be aware of everything that's going on. Of course, I try for these things not to influence me too much.

— Marta KostyukKostyuk detailed the emotional impact of recent Russian attacks on Kyiv, which occurred close to where her parents reside.

The 12th-seeded player, who also reached the French Open semifinals, has adhered to the standard procedure of not shaking hands with Russian players since the war began. She voiced strong opposition to the International Olympic Committee's recent recommendation to allow Russian athletes to compete individually, calling it "terrible" and "very, very far from fair play."

My thoughts are that it's terrible. I think it's very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine. I 100 per cent don't agree with this decision. … I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics.

— Marta KostyukKostyuk expressed her strong disagreement with the IOC's provisional lifting of the ban on Russian athletes.

"I 100 percent don't agree with this decision," Kostyuk stated. "I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics." She is the second Ukrainian woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals, and she hopes her success will mean a lot for her country.

I'm hoping, it would mean a lot.

— Marta KostyukKostyuk responded when asked what it would mean for Ukraine if she became the country's first Wimbledon finalist.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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