ROLAND GARROS — When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, tennis rushed to Ukraine’s aid.
Tournament organisers offered Ukrainians extra hotel rooms, players wore badges and ribbons in solidarity, the US Open raised $2m in a couple of days, the Australian Open topped that with its own event headlined by Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff.
But three years on, Vladimir Putin continues to rain down destruction on the people of Ukraine and at the grand slams you would barely know it was happening – compared to the wall-to-wall support of the war’s first year.
No one is more acutely aware of that contrast than Marta Kostyuk, whose first-round win in straight sets appeared routine – but in fact was anything but.
“It was one of the most difficult matches of my career,” Kostyuk said.
