​LONDON (AP) — While Marta Kostyuk battled on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday, Ukraine faced another deadly strike on Kyiv as Russian missiles hit areas near where Kostyuk’s parents live. The ongoing conflict has shadowed much of Kostyuk’s progress toward the quarterfinals and beyond, casting a constant backdrop over her run to the semifinal stage.
The strain has been evident throughout Kostyuk’s campaign. On Monday, as Russian missiles crashed into residential buildings not far from her family’s home, she had to push those fears aside to play her fourth-round match at the Grand Slam tournament. A week earlier, Kyiv endured an 11-hour drone and missile assault that killed at least 21 civilians, underscoring the personal stakes that accompany her professional grind.
For Kostyuk, every day is a balancing act: she seeks to concentrate on her tennis while remaining painfully aware of the situation back home. After defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time, she spoke about the challenge of detaching completely. “It’s not easy to disconnect entirely,” said the 24-year-old, who moved into the last four in her first Wimbledon run to the semifinals since her breakout performances. “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 five kilometers 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.”
Kostyuk, seeded 12th, is enjoying a second consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal, having reached this stage after a surprising run at the French Open where she fell to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. The two players did not shake hands before that match, a gesture that has become customary in meetings between Russian and Ukrainian athletes since the war began in 2022. Beyond the court, Russian athletes have largely competed as neutrals on the tennis tours, though the International Olympic Committee recently provisionally lifted its ban on Russia and suggested that individual sports take down the neutral status for athletes. The Kremlin hailed that decision as a significant step toward reintegrating Russian athletes, while Kostyuk reacted with a different view.
“I think it’s terrible,” Kostyuk said. “It’s very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine. I 100 percent don’t agree with this decision. … I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics.”
As the Wimbledon field narrows, there are no Russian singles players left in the tournament. Kostyuk is scheduled to meet Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic on Thursday, setting the stage for a potential historic run. In the other semifinal, American Coco Gauff faces Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.
Kostyuk, the second Ukrainian woman to reach Wimbledon’s semifinals after Elina Svitolina did so in 2019 and 2023, faces a country still reeling from conflict, with the prospect of a Kostyuk final presenting a powerful moment for Ukraine. Svitolina has previously fallen short in the semifinals on both of her appearances, and Kostyuk herself indicated that a Wimbledon final would carry significant meaning for Ukraine. “I’m hoping,” Kostyuk said, “it would mean a lot.”
The matchups and the politics surrounding this Wimbledon run add another layer to Kostyuk’s journey, illustrating how the sport can intersect with national pride and personal risk. As she continues to compete at a high level while her homeland endures ongoing aggression, Kostyuk’s pursuit of tennis glory becomes inseparable from the Ukrainian struggle for resilience and recognition on a global stage.