Ukrainian tennis star shares horrific images as Russian missile destroys Odesa home: 'Only Roland Garros towel survives'
Dayana Yastremska posted images and videos on her social media account showing her family apartment in Odesa, which was hit by a Russian missile.
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Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska on Saturday shared horrific images on social media, saying her family home was destroyed by a Kalibr missile strike during the Russian attack on Odesa on September 12. The world No. 113 shared images showing extensive damage to the residential building and said the only thing that survived was a Roland Garros towel from 2025.
She posted images and videos on her social media account showing her family apartment in Odesa, which was hit by a Russian missile.
“Tonight. This is what the ‘Russian world’ looks like. A direct hit by a Kalibr cruise missile. A Russian missile destroyed our apartment in Odesa,” she wrote, alongside a photo of a burning multi-storey residential building.
“The only thing that survived was a Roland Garros towel,” the 26-year-old added, sharing an image of the famous orange clay-court towel from the Paris Grand Slam hanging from the wreckage.
She called the image “symbolic” and called on the governing bodies of world tennis — the Women’s Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation — to take note.
“A piece of world tennis survived a Russian missile. Our home did not. @wta @itf_reviews Look at these images through our eyes. This is the true meaning of your ‘neutrality’ — from the Ukrainian side of the court,” Yastremska added.
The WTA and ATP continue to list Russian and Belarusian players without their national flags following the governing bodies’ response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian players have also avoided handshakes with Russian and Belarusian opponents on the tour.
Odesa regional head Oleh Kiper said 37 people were injured and two were missing in the missile and drone attack on Odesa.
This is not the first time Yastremska, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 2024, and her family have been affected by Russian attacks. On New Year’s Eve that year, she said a building where her grandmother lived had been damaged.
Last year, another Ukrainian athlete, footballer Heorhiy Sudakov, said his flat in Kyiv had been damaged by a Russian drone while his wife and child were at home.
Last week, Svitolina’s padel club in Kyiv was hit by a Russian airstrike.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More
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