Ukraine's Kostyuk finds clarity in speaking out on war and values

BANGALORE, June 24 : Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk said taking a strong stance against Russia's invasion of her country had sharpened her sense of purpose on the tour, with the online backlash she receives deepening her resolve to keep speaking out.

Kostyuk has been one of the most outspoken players on the war that began in 2022, repeatedly urging stronger recognition of the conflict while rejecting the idea of neutrality, saying players must stand by their values even while competing.

The 23-year-old brought the same intensity to her media appearances as her tennis in a spectacular run to the French Open semi-finals this month, speaking with directness on a sensitive topic that has resonated beyond the sport.

"Well, I think at this point it has strengthened my sense of purpose, because what I find fascinating is how many bots always attack my social media," Kostyuk told Reuters following a break ahead of Wimbledon.

"There's nothing better than this because it means I touch important topics people don't want to hear."

"Before, it used to be frustrating and difficult for me to endure even though I knew that the majority of it was bots, not real people. But now I'm really fuelling up with it, because I know these are the things I have to talk about," she added.

TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT

"I hope the war isn't going to last my whole career and ... I'm going to raise other issues.

"At this moment in my life, war is one of the most important things that happens to me every day so I have to talk about it."

Players from Russia and its ally Belarus have been allowed to compete as neutrals on the tour since the invasion, without national flags or official country representation.

"We're talking about players who play without a flag, but they