“I don’t have anyone calling me from Ukraine,” Marta Kostyuk relates spine-chilling experiences from a war-torn Ukraine as she keeps holding her head high in patriotic pride at the Australian Open

Marta Kostyuk moves on to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after a win for her country.

“I don’t have anyone calling me from Ukraine,” Marta Kostyuk relates spine-chilling experiences from a war-torn Ukraine as she keeps holding her head high in patriotic pride at the Australian Open

Marta Kostyuk (Via AO)

The Australian Open marks the start of the year in the tennis world as all the players sweat it out for the season-opening Grand Slam. Amidst the chaos to be on top, lies the story of Marta Kostyuk whose on-court spirit soars high like her homeland Ukraine. 

With a strong determination to make her country proud, the youngster fights her way through the rounds of the Australian Open, finding herself in the quarter-finals. She returned from a long break after the Beijing Open to find no one talking about the invasion. Kostyuk felt a little lost when she returned, as she was alarmed that people had stopped talking about the invasion. 

YouTube video

Despite that, the youngster continues updating everyone about the war and the scenes in Ukraine. Kostyuk admitted to watching the news and getting informed to present it to the public in a much simpler way. 

FS Video
I need to follow the news all the time, and I need to know what's going on because I don't have anyone calling me from Ukraine, like, Hello, Marta, this, this, this happened today, these are the highlights or whatever, you know. I have to go through all the information myself and see what's the best way to present it to people so they understand it in the most easiest way, I would say.
Marta Kostyuk to the AO Press. 

Marta Kostyuk continues her winning streak as she finds a date with Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals

The young Ukrainian was delighted after her fourth-round win against Russian Maria Timofeeva. She won the game in straight sets 6-2,6-1.

Marta Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk (Via Hindustan Times)

Once again, Kostyuk did not shake hands with the Russian as she had done with the other Russian and Belarusian players since the invasion. Continuing to provide regular updates about the condition in Ukraine, Kostyuk advances to the quarter-finals. In a recent post-match interview, the Ukrainian revealed the challenges of following the news daily and how it can shift one’s mindset. 

While talking about her experiences in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kostyuk finds ways to establish herself on the court and continue moving forward, winning matches. She now finds herself face-to-face with the very dangerous Coco Gauff, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament.

The American has been on a winning streak since the start of the year, asserting her dominance through the rounds. As one of the current favorites to win the tournament, Gauff is prepared to give it her all for another Slam. However, Kostyuk has not won a Slam yet and would eye the title with the whole of Ukraine supporting her. 

In Case You Missed It: