Ukrainian Star Marta Wins Emotional French Open Battle Hours After Missile Strikes Family Neighborhood

PARIS: Marta Kostyuk opened her campaign at French Open 2026 with a comfortable first-round victory over Oksana Selekhmeteva on Sunday, winning 6-2, 6-3 at Roland-Garros.

The result means Marta Kostyuk defeats Oksana in just over an hour to continue a strong clay-court run that has carried into Paris. The Ukrainian arrived at the tournament after title-winning performances in Rouen and Madrid, where she secured the biggest trophy of her career at WTA 1000 level.

Seeded inside the top 16 for the first time at Roland-Garros, Kostyuk dictated most of the rallies with aggressive baseline play. Her forehand proved particularly effective throughout the match as she finished with 20 winners, despite facing brief pressure while closing out both sets.

Strong Clay-Court Form Continues

The victory extended Kostyuk’s unbeaten streak on clay to 12 matches and moved her into the second round of the tournament. She will next play either Katie Volynets of the United States or France’s Clara Burel.

This year marks Kostyuk’s seventh appearance in the main draw at Roland-Garros. The 23-year-old has shown consistent improvement during the European clay season and entered Paris among the form players on the WTA Tour.

Emotional Day off the Court

After the match, Kostyuk spoke about the difficult circumstances surrounding her opening-round appearance. During her on-court interview, she revealed that a missile strike earlier in the day had damaged a building near her parents’ home in Ukraine.

“I'm incredibly proud of myself today,” Kostyuk said after the handshake.

“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 metres away from my parents' house [in Ukraine], a missile destroyed the building.

“It was a very difficult morning for me. I didn't know how this match was going to turn around for me. I didn't know how I would handle it.”

Despite the off-court situation, the Ukrainian maintained control throughout much of the contest and avoided a prolonged opening-round battle in Paris. The performance also ensured that Ukrainian star Marta wins her opening match at Roland-Garros for another year.