LONDON — Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine’s number one player, hit out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“It’s terrible,” the Ukrainian said shortly after advancing to the Wimbledon 2026 semifinals.
“I think it’s very, very far from fair play for all the countries involved, not just for Ukraine. I 100% don’t agree with this decision. A lot of people spoke out on this issue — they obviously don’t agree either. 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,” said the world number 13 after beating Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2.
The IOC provisionally lifted the suspension imposed on the Russian Olympic Committee, in place since 2023 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian athletes will now be able to participate representing their committee at the upcoming Olympic Games and future editions of the event to be held in California.
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“We wanted to ensure all athletes have the possibility to compete at the Olympic Games and not be held responsible for their government’s actions,” declared Kirsty Coventry, IOC president.
The former Zimbabwean swimmer added that protocols around the anthem and flag for Russian and Belarusian athletes — also banned from all tennis events — will be reviewed in the future.
Kostyuk said she will do everything possible to change the IOC’s decision.
“I’m sure we’re going to do something about it. I’m definitely not going to be doing this before my semifinal match. Maybe I can talk more about it at the US Open, or whenever I have time to talk to the team, to the girls, to the government as well — see what we’re going to do. As of now, it’s not something I’m focused on,” she told the media at the All England Club.
Kostyuk will play a Wimbledon semifinal for the first time in her career. On Thursday she faces Czech player Linda Noskova for a place in her first Grand Slam final.
On Monday, Russia launched a devastating barrage of missiles and drones on Kyiv, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 100 in its second major strike on the capital in a week.
The three-time WTA title winner spoke about how she has been coping with the attacks during her successful Wimbledon campaign: “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 four streets of residential buildings — five kilometers away from where my parents live. Another difficult night, and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It’s not easy. I try to be aware of everything that’s going on, and of course I try for these things not to influence me too much. Every day is different. I cope with it as it goes.”
