Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk voiced strong opposition to the reported return of Russian athletes under their national flag at the 2028 Olympics after booking her place in the Wimbledon semifinals. The 24-year-old secured a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini to reach the last four at the All England Club for the first time before sharing her views on the issue.
Speaking after the win, Kostyuk criticised the reported plans by the International Olympic Committee to lift the neutrality rules imposed on Russian athletes following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. When asked about the possibility of Russian competitors returning under their national flag at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the Ukrainian tennis star made it clear that she was firmly against the move.
Marta Kostyuk Slams IOC Over Planned Return of Russian Athletes to the 2028 Olympics
Marta Kostyuk strongly opposed the reported decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Speaking after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, the Ukrainian said the move was unfair and went against the spirit of fair play. She said, “My thoughts are that it’s terrible. 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. I feel like a lot of people spoke out on this issue and they obviously don’t agree as well. I don’t think anything is going to change.”
Kostyuk added that if Russian athletes are reinstated, she would focus on competing against them on the court. She said, “I want to just go out there and hopefully beat every single Russian I play in Olympics, and that’s it.”
The 24-year-old also spoke about the impact of the war in Ukraine on her life. Referring to recent attacks near her family’s home in Kyiv, she said, “It was really tough for me last week when the first big attack happened. Then on Monday they ruined like four streets of residential buildings. It was like 5 km away from where my parents live.”
She added, “Again, another difficult night and a lot of dead people, innocent people, kids. It’s not easy. I tried to be aware of everything that’s going on. Of course, I try for these things not to influence me too much. Every day is different. I cope with it as it goes.”
Marta Kostyuk to Discuss IOC Decision After Wimbledon
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), a move that could pave the way for Russia’s return to the Olympic movement. The ROC had been suspended in October 2023 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed the decision, saying it could help Russian athletes return fully to international competition.
Reacting to the development, Marta Kostyuk said discussions with the tennis community and Ukrainian authorities would take place after Wimbledon. She said, “I’m sure we’re going to do something about it. I’m definitely not going to be doing this before my semi-final match.” She added, “Maybe I can talk more about it in the U.S. or wherever, whenever I have time to talk to the team, to the girls, to the government as well, see what we’re going to do about it.”
