Russian bombing destroys 'home' of female tennis goddess; only a French Open towel remains amidst the debris... Attack on grandmother's house two years ago

*This content was translated by AI.

The home of Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska (26) was completely destroyed in a Russian missile attack.

Britain's 'The Sun' reported on the 13th (Korean time) that "Russia launched missile and drone attacks on the Black Sea port city of Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk," adding that "the attack claimed two lives, injured over 30 people, and destroyed Yastremska's family apartment."

Yastremska expressed anger by posting photos of a burning high-rise apartment on social media (SNS). The 22-story apartment where her family lived vanished without a trace due to the bombing. Amidst the gruesome building debris, only one orange towel she brought from Roland Garros (French Open) remained.

She stated, "A 'piece' of world tennis (the towel) withstood Russian missiles, but our home could not," and condemned, "This direct hit by Kalibr cruise missiles is exactly what the 'Russian world' truly reveals."

She also criticized the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) for allowing neutral participation of Russian and Belarusian players in international tournaments. Yastremska urged, "Look at this devastation through Ukrainian eyes," and declared, "This is the true meaning of your 'neutrality' as seen from a Ukrainian court."

Ranked 21st globally and a runner-up at the Australian Open, Yastremska is a top player who has earned over $6 million (approximately 8.2 billion won) in career prize money and recently competed in the US Open. She has strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin since the outbreak of war. Russia previously attacked her grandmother's home during a New Year's Eve attack in 2024.

She has designated Russia as a 'terrorist state' and completely refuses to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus. Her fellow Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina also refused to shake hands with Russia's Anna Kalinskaya (world No. 23) at last week's US Open.

The damage suffered by Ukrainian sports stars extends beyond this. Last year, a Russian drone struck the Kyiv apartment of football national team midfielder Heorhiy Sudakov (Benfica). At the time, his wife and three-year-old child were inside the home. Sudakov, who has played 36 matches for Ukraine's national team, left Shakhtar Donetsk this summer with a transfer fee of £20 million (approximately 36.8 billion won) to join Portuguese club Benfica.

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*This content was translated by AI.