Australian Open 2024: Marta Kostyuk vows to continue to draw attention to the conflict in Ukraine
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk says she will not stop her campaign to bring up what is happening in her home nation, as she revealed some heartbreaking news from Ukraine.
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Marta Kostyuk has vowed to continue her campaign to draw attention to the conflict in Ukraine at tennis events after an Australian Open quarter-final loss to Coco Gauff she still considered to be a win for herself and Ukrainian sport.
As she revealed she was sharing texts with supporters in Kyiv after missile shellings when she walked off the court in Melbourne, Kostyuk said she was “proud of herself” after her career-best grand slam run came to an end in a three-set loss to the No. 4 seed in a three-hour epic on Rod Laver Arena.
Kostyuk has been among several Ukrainian players to be outspoken over the war in her home country during the Open, labelling the emotional toll of the events as “exhausting”.
Asked if her campaign to raise awareness about the conflict in Ukraine had been successful, Kostyuk said she would continue to use her voice at tennis events to remind the world the war was “still not gone”.
“I think the (Ukrainian) girls did really well,” Kostyuk said.
“I hope we will be able to succeed (at) most of the tournaments, especially the big ones where there is a lot of media. People should be reminded.
“I walk off the court – before the match I was looking at the news and I kind of guess that most likely there would be a big missile shelling again.
“When I walked off the court, I look at this news again, and again, I don’t know how many missiles yet. It’s still too fresh.
“But I was texting with some people from Kyiv. I said, ‘How is it? How are you guys?’ They said, ‘Well, we were looking between your score and where the missiles are flying’.
“It’s still there (the conflict). My parents are still there … my sister is still there.”
Kostyuk suffered a 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (7-3) 6-2 loss to Gauff after holding a 5-1 lead in the opening set.
While Kostyuk said it had been “painful” to lose the opening set after the position she had been in, the world No. 37 said she still considered her performance against Gauff – and at the tournament – to be a win.
“(I’m) very proud of myself. I won for myself today,” Kostyuk said.
“It’s a win because …. I was playing one of the best girls in the world. (I) managed to be still very close.
“It feels far but also very close. This whole tournament I think is a big win for me.
“(It was a) great match with Coco today. Another fight. Unfortunately (I) couldn’t get a win today, but (I) played a very, very good tournament.”
Kostyuk hoped her run at the Open would bring some “joy” and a welcome diversion from the events in her home country.
“Sport has always brought a lot of joy and happiness for people regardless of times. I don’t think it changed. I think it’s the same,” she said.
“I got a lot of messages, a lot of support from people who have been telling me, ‘Wow, what a great tournament, such emotions, what a fight, what fighting spirit’.
“It’s good for people not to just change perspective but … to look at something different rather than other than missile shellings.
“I really hope that Ukrainian sport will grow even in these circumstances.”
Kostyuk’s quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open was her first beyond the fourth round at a grand slam, having reached the third round at Melbourne Park the past two years.
The 21-year-old said her performance in the season-opening grand slam had helped to “clarify” her goals.
“(My goals) haven’t changed. It’s just I have more clarity,” she said.
“I never put ranking goals. I don’t think it makes sense really. I mean, it’s just a number, at the end of the day.
“I still want to win a grand slam. It’s still my biggest goal. I will be going for that.
“We will see for the other tournaments … my biggest and only goal so far is (to win a) grand slam.”
STARS GIVEN FREE REIN TO WAGE POLITICAL WAR OF WORDS
– Sam Landsberger
Tennis stars have been granted free speech and will be allowed to keep making political statements at the Australian Open.
The Herald Sun has confirmed there are no provisions that prohibit players making political statements in the 60-page Grand Slam rulebook that governs player conduct at major events.
While Tennis Australia declined to weigh in on the issue, it is the relevant organiser charged with regulating rules at Melbourne Park.
The document covers everything from punctuality (men can be fined up to $20,000 if they are not ready to walk-on court at start time) to wearing correct socks (sponsor identifications on each sock are limited to a maximum of 13 square cm).
But there are no rules regarding what a player can or cannot say politically. In fact, the only code of conduct that exists when it comes to media regards that of journalists.
“All accredited media are asked to oblige by the Grand Slam Media Code of Conduct which request that media behave in a courteous and professional manner at all times, and according to the terms and conditions of accreditation at each Grand Slam Tournament, which include restrictions around filming and other areas,” the document says.
“In the event that a member of the media contravenes these terms and conditions, the individual Grand Slam Tournament is able to consider appropriate penalties, including removal of accreditation.”
In contrast, the International Cricket Council (ICC) charged Australian opener Usman Khawaja for wearing a black armband during a Test match for breaching equipment regulations barring players displaying personal messages at international matches supporting “political, religious or racial” causes.
Quarter-finalist Marta Kostyuk demanded the “sports community stop using the tennis court to promote Russian peace” this week.
The Ukrainian star was enraged by a since-deleted post from the US Open’s official Instagram account that displayed the Russian flag next to Maria Timofeeva, who Kostyuk defeated in the fourth round.
“Today, after my victory over the athlete from the aggressor country, the Russian flag was published on the official resource of one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world,” Kostyuk wrote.
“The sports world continues to promote a murderous country and a country that uses its athletes as part of its propaganda.
“I call on media representatives, officials and the sports community to stop using the tennis court to promote ‘Russian peace’.”
Kostyuk defeated two Russian-born players on her way to her maiden quarter-final berth at a grand slam.
She has not been alone in passionately speaking out about the emotional toll the war in her home country has taken.
Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, 23, said on Monday: “When I was in Brisbane, the rocket arrive on my grandmother’s house. It’s tough emotionally to play, but the worst thing is you feel like you were already accepting this, what is happening.
“People are starting to forget what is going on … it’s tough to play.”
Israeli teenager Mika Buchnik proudly draped an Israel flag over her back after she won her Junior Girl’s round 1 match on court 17.
The small stands were sprinkled with fans cheering on the youngster with several Israel flags joyfully being waved as Buchnik fought back from one-set down.
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