Marta Kostyuk dedicates her first WTA title to Russia-Ukraine war victims

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk won her first-ever WTA title after defeating Russia’s Varvara Gracheva in the ATX Open final on Sunday. Kostyuk dedicated this win to her country and all the victims of Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia. The 20-year-old collapsed to the ground while sobbing after winning the game by 6-3, 7-5 in Texas.

“Everyone who is in the stands and everyone who is watching, especially in Ukraine, I want to say ‘Slava Ukraini,” said Kostyuk at the victory ceremony.

“I was just playing match by match, and I think this is how you win tournaments, I guess! It’s not so easy to talk right now, but obviously I’m extremely happy. I’m just happy to be healthy and happy to play tennis and see the crowd enjoy my game, ” Kostyuk added

“Being in the position that I’m in right now, it’s extremely special to win this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and all of the people who are fighting and dying right now, ” she further added.

“Obviously it’s a very special moment, no matter when it happens,” she said after the applauses and cheers.

Kostyuk has also spoken about the response of Tennis world to the war

Earlier Kostyuk has also spoken about the response of the Tennis fraternity to the Russian invasion on her country, saying anti-war platitudes weren’t enough. She said that it was “very upsetting” to see Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, posing with the Russian flag with the face of President Vladimir Putin on it.

Kostyuk also refused to shake hands with Belarusian Victoria Azarenka during the 2022 US Open, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also saw them and allies Belarus become outcasts in world sport.

According to Western military officials, more than 100.000 people have killed or wounded in a year long battle between both countries. While Tens of thousands of civilians are also feared to death, and millions had to fight for surviving.