Russia-Ukraine war: Dayana Yastremska will donate Lyon Open earnings to help war victims at home

Maryna Baydyuk shares how viewers can help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country on 'Fox News Live.'

Dayana Yastremska fled war-torn Ukraine to Romania and then to France to play in the Lyon Open earlier this week and on Sunday she was narrowly defeated by Zhang Shuai 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.

It was Yastremska’s first final since losing to Ash Barty in the 2020 Adelaide International. She rode a wave of perseverance to get past Ana Bogdan, Cristina Bucșa, Jasmine Paolini and Sorana Cîrstea to get to Zhang before her run finally came to an end.

Draped in the Ukrainian flag while getting choked up trying to hold back tears, Yastremska said the week had been "really tough."

Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska, wrapped in the Ukrainian national flag, reacts at the end of the WTA 6eme Sens Open semi-final tennis match against Romania's Sorana Cirstea in Lyon, on March 5, 2022. (OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images)

"All this week I’ve been fighting here in court not just for myself but for my country and … I’m very happy still with the finals because it’s been a long time since I have played in the finals, and today I think didn’t have enough emotion and was pretty tired," she said. "But the crowd here and these people and since I’ve just arrived here it’s been amazing. Everybody was supporting me a lot and I felt so much power from the people here and thanks to the tournament director for the wild card, thank you for the opportunity."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

She revealed to Bild last week the path that led her to France. She said she started to hear bombs near Odessa, Ukraine, on Feb. 23 and on Feb. 24 her father made the decision that she and her sister needed to leave the country as