Kostyuk wins French Open opener after missile strike near Kyiv home

Marta Kostyuk secured her opening-round victory at the 2026 French Open on Sunday, but the match was defined by the proximity of a missile strike to her family’s home in Kyiv. The No. 15 seed defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 in 78 minutes, yet described the contest as one of the most difficult of her career due to the emotional distress caused by the attack.

Kostyuk received news of the strike at 8 a.m. local time, three hours before her match began. She showed reporters a photograph of the scene received from her family, which showed a building destroyed just 100 metres from her parents’ house. Her mother, sister, and great-aunt were inside the residence at the time but were physically unharmed.

The Ukrainian player said she never considered withdrawing from the match against Selekhmeteva, but acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining focus. She described the morning as one of the “top three worst” since the Russian invasion began in 2022, citing the extreme proximity of the strike as the primary factor. Kostyuk admitted she felt physically sick during the morning due to the fear that the missile had been just 100 metres closer, which would have resulted in the deaths of her family members.

During her post-match news conference, Kostyuk used her platform to highlight the ongoing war, noting that the WTA Tour had seemingly forgotten about the conflict. She stated that while she had previously participated in fundraisers, the tour’s current silence had motivated her to continue raising awareness. “I live it anyways, and I have also adapted to the fact that the tour forgot about it,” she said, adding that she uses her speeches to remind audiences of the “horror of everyday lives of people.”

The victory marked Kostyuk’s first win at Roland Garros since 2024, ending a streak of poor results in previous appearances. She is currently on a 12-match win streak, having won titles at the Open de Rouen and Madrid Open earlier in the year. She will face American Katie Volynets in the second round on Wednesday.