Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk wins French Open match amid missile strike near family home
Consensus Summary
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk won her first-round match at the 2026 French Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Oksana Selekhmeteva, despite emotional turmoil after a Russian missile struck 100 meters from her parents’ home in Kyiv earlier that morning. Kostyuk, who did not shake hands with her opponent—a Russian-born player who now represents Spain—described the match as one of the hardest of her career, revealing she had been crying and struggling with fear for her family’s safety. The missile strike, which destroyed a nearby building but did not injure anyone, came amid a broader wave of Russian attacks in Ukraine that left four dead and over 100 injured. Kostyuk’s resilience, fueled by her determination to honor her family’s survival and the strength of Ukrainians enduring the war, was a focal point of her post-match interview. The tournament also faced challenges, including extreme heat—reaching 33 degrees Celsius—which led to player retirements and bathroom breaks, such as French wildcard Arthur Gea’s dramatic request during his loss to Karen Khachanov. Kostyuk’s next match is against unseeded American Katie Volynets, as she continues her 13-match winning streak, which includes her recent WTA 1000 title in Rome.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Marta Kostyuk won her first-round match at the 2026 French Open with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Oksana Selekhmeteva
- Kostyuk revealed a Russian missile struck 100 meters from her parents’ home in Kyiv on the morning of her match (May 24, 2026)
- Kostyuk’s mother, sister, and great aunt were in the house during the missile strike, which destroyed a nearby building; no one was injured
- Kostyuk did not shake hands with Selekhmeteva, who was born in Russia and previously represented Russia before switching to Spain
- Kostyuk is currently on a 13-match winning streak, including a recent WTA 1000 title in Rome
- French wildcard Arthur Gea lost his first-round match to Karen Khachanov (6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0) after requesting a bathroom break due to severe diarrhea
- The French Open first round took place under extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91.4°F)
- Kostyuk’s next opponent is unseeded American Katie Volynets in the second round
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Kostyuk described the match as one of the most difficult of her career, mentioning she felt sick and struggled with emotions throughout the day
- Four people were killed and approximately 100 injured in Kyiv overnight due to Russian drone and missile strikes
- Novak Djokovic advanced to the second round with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
- Kostyuk’s Italian Open title run was preceded by a triumph in Rouen, extending her winning streak to 13 matches
- Kostyuk expressed exhaustion and anger over the constant threat to her family, calling Ukrainians resilient and determined
- Kostyuk received a message at 8:00 AM about the missile strike and said she was crying part of the morning
- Spectators folded newspapers to fan themselves due to the extreme heat during matches
- Canadian Gabriel Diallo retired against James Duckworth due to the heat after losing the first set 6-3 and trailing 4-1 in the second
- Number 21 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina struggled with the temperature difference, noting a 22°C increase from Hamburg
- Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, French Open runners-up Sloane Stephens, and Sofia Kenin all lost in the first round
- Number 26 Hailey Baptiste won a three-set match against 2021 champion Barbora Krejčíková (6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2)
- Number 23 Tomas Etcheverry lost to Nuno Borges in men’s first-round play, while number 26 Jakub Mensik and number 28 João Fonseca advanced
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Kostyuk’s opponent Selekhmeteva is a Russian-born player who switched nationalities to Spain on the eve of the tournament, while ABC does not specify the timing of the nationality change
- The Guardian mentions Kostyuk’s opponent Selekhmeteva did not speak out against Russia’s invasion, but ABC does not include this detail
Source Articles
Ukraine’s Kostyuk keeps focus on French Open after missile strike near parents’ home
No 15 seed beats Russian-born Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 Gea loses to Khachanov after desperate bathroom plea An emotional Marta Kostyuk described her first-round win at the French Open as one of the most difficult matches of her life as she revealed that she had taken to the court hours after a Russian missile landed close to her parents’ house in Ukraine. Kostyuk, the 15th seed in Paris, became one of the first players to win a match at the tournament this year as the 23-year-old registered a 6-2,
Ukrainian star fights back tears after missile almost hits family home
Tennis star Marta Kostyuk's mother, sister and great aunt were in the house at the time of the strike among 17 people in total, so she says her relief is enormous that no-one was injured.