SUMMARY
- Dayana Yastremksa is enjoying a remarkable run at the Australian Open this year.
- It has not been an easy journey for the young Ukrainian, who had to flee from Russian bombings.
The Australian Open has been a grand spectacle of tennis this year. There has been no shortage of impressive action from the payers, who have put their best foot forward. Ukrainian star Dayana Yastremska is one such player who has had a dream run at the tournament so far.
Dayana is one of the standout players in the tournament. She kicked off the tournament as a qualifier, and now she is set to play in the semifinals. While this would be a surreal moment for any player, it is especially so for Dayana, who has had to battle more than just her opponents on the court to get to this stage. Yastremska went from hiding underground for 48 hours to creating history.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Yastremska family had to shelter from bombs for two days. Finally, Dayana’s parents decided to send her and her younger sister, Ivanna, away to safety. The Yastremska sisters joined thousands of others as they fled from the full-scale Russian attack on Odesa. They bid farewell to their parents as they made their way to France and were not reunited until months later.
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Just nine days after fleeing to France, Dayana made it to the final of the Lyon Open as a wildcard. She ended up winning it, and it was the third WTA title of her budding career. Yastremska has not looked back since.
Dayana Yastremska has always acknowledged the role her parents played in her success. She has tried to honor her parents’ sacrifices and those still fighting the war. And now she is making them proud, and how!
Dayana Yastremska is enjoying a dream run at the Australian Open
Yastremska has made waves with her tennis at the Australian Open this year. She is the first qualifier to make it to the semifinals since 1978. Moreover, Dayana seems to be well on track to follow Emma Raducanu’s footsteps. However, as inspiring as her run has been, Yastremska still has to overcome a fiery Qinwen Zheng.
Dayana battled through three three-set matches in the qualifying rounds to make it to the main draw. She then stunned the reigning Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova, in the first round. Yastremka followed it up with wins over Emma Navarro, Victoria Azarenka, and finally, Linda Noskova. She will lock horns with Zheng next, and both are eyeing a spot in their maiden Grand Slam final.
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Dayana has not forgotten that her people are still fighting the war and left an inspiring message for the soldiers. “I always try to write something for Ukraine, about Ukraine. I think it’s my mission here. I’m just trying to give the signal to Ukraine that I’m really proud of it,” she said (via The Sun).
Dayan Yastremska will hope to continue her winning momentum against Zheng in the semifinal. The two are set to play for a spot in the finals on January 25.