Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has spoken about the difficulty of focusing on her career while conflict continues in her home country. The world No. 12 made the comments ahead of her return to Wimbledon. She recently withdrew from another event due to injury.
Kostyuk withdrew from the HSBC Championship before her round of 32 match against Mika Stojsavljevic because of a right ankle injury. The 23-year-old French Open semifinalist is now preparing for the grass-court season at the All-England Club.
In remarks to Clay Tennis, Kostyuk said responsibility does not disappear despite changes in her life. “Anyone who has never lived through a war at home cannot fully understand what it is,” she added. She described efforts to raise awareness that the situation “is not normal and should never happen again.”
Kostyuk recalled receiving news of a missile strike near her parents’ home in Kyiv hours before a Roland Garros match. She still competed but was later seen in tears. She has tried to maintain balance between her professional demands and support for Ukraine.