Marta Kostyuk knew this would not be an ordinary day when she stepped onto court at Roland-Garros. Hours before her first-round match, a Russian missile struck a building just 100 meters from her parents' home in Kyiv. Images of the shattered facade spread across social media while the Ukrainian was warming up.
"This morning, 100 metres from my parents' house, a missile destroyed a building. It was a very difficult morning," Kostyuk said after her victory. "I didn't know how this match was going to turn out."
Yet the 15th seed showed no signs of distress on court. Against Oksana Selekhmeteva, Kostyuk delivered a controlled performance to win 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour. Her opponent was overwhelmed, committing 13 double faults and 39 unforced errors against only 4 winners.
The victory extends Kostyuk's clay-court winning streak to 13 consecutive matches, the longest of her career at age 23. A run that began at the WTA 250 in Rouen, continued with a maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid, and now carries emotional weight in Paris.
"All of my thoughts and all my heart go to the people of Ukraine today," Kostyuk declared, visibly moved, courtside at Porte d'Auteuil. Four years into the invasion, tennis remains her outlet, and Parisian clay her sanctuary.
In the second round, Kostyuk will face American Katie Volynets, who dispatched Clara Burel 6-3, 6-1. On paper, another manageable hurdle for a player who looks untouchable on this surface.
