Ukrainian Player Marta Kostyuk Reaches First Wimbledon Semifinal

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk reached her first Wimbledon semifinal on July 8 by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. The 12th seed will next face Linda Noskova of Czechia on July 9. In the other semifinal, American Coco Gauff will play Karolina Muchova of Czechia.

Kostyuk criticized the International Olympic Committee's decision to provisionally lift its ban on Russia and recommend that individual sports drop the neutral status for athletes. "My thoughts are that it's terrible," she said. "I think it's very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved here, not just for Ukraine.

I 100% don't agree with this decision. " The Kremlin welcomed the IOC decision on July 8 as an "important step" toward reinstating the rights of Russian athletes. No Russian singles players remain in the 2026 Wimbledon tournament.

Russian players have competed as neutrals on the men's and women's tennis tours since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022. Kostyuk reached her second straight Grand Slam semifinal after losing to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the French Open semifinals. The two did not shake hands before that match.

Kostyuk is the second woman from Ukraine to reach the Wimbledon semifinals after Elina Svitolina in 2019 and 2023. Kostyuk said she tries to focus on tennis while remaining aware of events in Ukraine. On Monday, Russian missiles struck residential buildings near where her parents live.

Last week, an 11-hour drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed at least 21 civilians.