Ukraine tennis star Marta Kostyuk hits out at 'terrible' call to let Russia back into Olympics: 'I just want to beat every Russian I play'See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JAMES SHARPE Published: 18:57 BST, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 19:32 BST, 8 July 2026
Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk said she hopes to topple every Russian she faces at the Olympics after the nation’s suspension from the Games was lifted despite the ongoing war.Kostyuk reached her first Wimbledon semi-final with a ruthless 6-3, 6-2 victory over 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini just a day after the International Olympic Committee provisionally lifted its ban on Russia, paving the way for its athletes to compete in Los Angeles.‘It’s terrible,’ said Kostyuk. ‘I think it's very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine. I don't think anything is going to change. I just want to go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in the Olympics, and that's it.'It was after her first-round victory at Roland Garros, where she also reached the semi-final, that she showed pictures of her parents' house in Kyiv engulfed in fire and smoke after being narrowly missed by a Russian missile. Kostyuk confirmed she would raise her fresh concerns with the International Tennis Federation.Before then, though, she must see how far her Wimbledon journey still has left to run after becoming only the second Ukrainian in history to reach the last four after Elina Svitolina.In her first ever match on Centre Court, Kostyuk continued her incredible run of form that now stands at 22 wins from her last 23 matches, with the only defeat coming in the semi-final at Roland Garros.Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has hit out after Russia's Olympics ban was lifted‘I’m hoping it would mean a lot,’ said Kostyuk, when asked how much it would mean to reach the final against the backdrop of recent fresh attacks on her home country. ‘It's not easy to disconnect entirely. It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then, on Monday, they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like five kilometres away from where my parents live.‘Again, another difficult night and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It's not easy. I tried to be aware of everything that's going on. Of course, I try for these things not to influence me too much. Every day is different. I cope with it as it goes.’Kostyuk will face ninth seed Linda Noskova in the semi-final, who proved just too strong for the gallant Elise Mertens on Court One.Noskova, the latest in the seemingly endless production line of top Czech stars, put Mertens under relentless pressure from the start, taking the Belgian to deuce in four of her opening five service games, and forcing 11 break points across her 6-3, 7-6 triumph.Mertens never stopped fighting, saving nine of them, but Noskova clinched her two breaks at crucial late stages in both sets to join compatriot Karolina Muchova in the last four. Since 2014, three of the 10 Wimbledon champions have been Czech - Petra Kvitova, Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova - including two of the last three.‘There has always been someone,’ said Noskova. ‘It has always been a fact that we, as such a small country, can definitely do big things in the world if we look up to the people that did it.’
