Ukrainian star slams Russian rivals at French Open for not speaking out against war

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleMarta Kostyuk has hit out at Russian players (AP)Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has strongly criticised Russian players for their silence regarding the war in Ukraine, stating their inaction over four years reveals "whose side they are on". Her comments followed her advancement to her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open, achieved by defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in an emotionally charged quarter-final, played hours after Russian strikes on Kyiv. Kostyuk dismissed the argument that Russian athletes must remain silent due to potential repercussions at home, citing examples like Daria Kasatkina who publicly spoke out and switched allegiance. She highlighted that many Russian players do not live in Russia, suggesting there is "nothing that’s stopping you if this is something you don’t believe in" if they disagree with their country's actions. Kostyuk dedicated her victory to "the Ukrainian people", emphasising that representing Ukraine has become more significant than individual results, especially given the ongoing conflict. In fullMarta Kostyuk blasts Russian players for Ukraine war silence ahead of French Open clash with Mirra AndreevaThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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