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Marta Kostyuk has never shied away from speaking candidly about the war in her home country and its impact on Ukrainian athletes. The 2026 French Open has been no different, with Kostyuk once again addressing the stance of Russian and Belarusian players during her latest press conference.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian has enjoyed an outstanding clay-court season, highlighted by her title-winning run at the Madrid Open before arriving in Paris. At Roland Garros, she has continued that momentum, defeating Oksana Selekhmeteva, Katie Volynets, Viktorija Golubic, four-time champion Iga Swiatek, and most recently compatriot Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to book her place in the semifinals.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \nThanks for the submission!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/template><\/p>\n After the match, Kostyuk was asked about Russian and Belarusian players who often deflect questions about the war by saying they are only focused on tennis and “play against the ball.” The Ukrainian admitted she finds it difficult to comprehend how those who remain silent on the issue can live with themselves while the war continues to affect millions of people in her country.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/template><\/p>\n “They\u2019re all grown-ups,\u201d Marta Kostyuk said. \u201cThey have phones, they have Instagram, they have news \u2013 they are clearly aware of what\u2019s going on. This is something they want to avoid talking about. They have to live with this, not me.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cI wish there was some more clear stance on what\u2019s going on, especially when your country is killing other people. I don\u2019t know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know this is going on and you have nothing to say about,” she added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n