Kostyuk has consistently lauded fellow Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova for being outspoken about Russian and Belarusian players’ relative silence amid the war in Ukraine, while admitting she no longer had the emotional energy to do the same herself. “I saw [the bombing] started last night already in the evening, but I never follow news during the night. I mean, I will change absolutely nothing, and I will just not get any sleep,” she said. “If I cannot live without news and not follow them, then I
might as well go back to Ukraine and live there because I’m here, I’m safe, I’m here to do my job. I obviously try to separate these things. “Of course, when I woke up today, I saw it was all over the news. I texted my family if they were OK. This is pretty much all I can do. The biggest thing I can do is sit here and talk about it, so more people can find out about it, so they don’t get used
to this terrible life.”
Elina Kostyuk, Ukrainian tennis history, Oleksandra Oliynykova, Russian players silence, Belarusian players silence, war in Ukraine, bombing, war reporting, family texted, tennis
Did she actually cry on court or is this just the headline?
So she says Russian/Belarus players are quiet… but like tennis is supposed to be apolitical right? Idk. Also bombs started and she didn’t sleep, that part I get.
Wait, I thought Kostyuk was Russian for some reason?? Like the names sound similar to me, sorry. But either way, texting family while it’s on the news is the only thing she could do, I guess. People act like “talking about it” magically fixes war though.
This is why I hate “sports during war” coverage. One person can’t “make history” and also stop bombing. I read somewhere it was all coordinated timing with her matches?? not sure. She said she’s safe there doing her job but then why is she even there if she’s that emotional, just go back to Ukraine then. But also maybe she can’t, idk.