Ukrainian tennis player at BNP speaks out after fleeing war-torn country
From an underground bunker in Kyiv surrounded by explosions to stadium one at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Dayana Yastremska is sharing her story with News Channel 3 about her harrowing escape from her war-torn homeland, and her reaction to the global show of support for Ukraine.
Yastremska, 21, lost her match at the BNP Paribas Open Wednesday night, eliminating her from the tournament, but just a few weeks ago, she was in a completely different world.
"I felt like I was very empty emotionally and very tired physically," Yastremska said.
Just over two weeks ago when the Russian invasion on Kyiv began, Yastremska was right in the middle of the chaos.
"There is a bomb, there's shootings, there is rockets flying everywhere and it was very scary," she said. "We had to stay in the underground. I couldn't really practice and we didn't really sleep because the situation was really dangerous."
Taking shelter in a parking, her family made the decision to separate. Yastremska and her sister crossed the border to Romania, taking a boat across a river.
"We could see our parents standing on the other side," she said. "It was so sad, it was so painful because you didn't know when you're going to see them next time."
Steve Ross from Rancho Mirage is a volunteer driver for the BNP. He drove Yastremska to the tournament Wednesday before learning about what she'd been through.
"Very much taken by her poise and her ability to come out of a war zone situation...and perform at the highest level," Ross said
And while Yastremska said she's grateful to be in the U.S. representing her country on the world stage, the attack on her homeland remains top of mind. That's why she said shows of support are so important right now, like the Ukrainian flag flying high above the tournament.
"I'm proud to be Ukrainian and I'm proud that...even if I lost yesterday, I'm proud...that I was fighting," she said. "I gave it really my all that I had. I hope everything is gonna end up soon and we're gonna have peace in the world."
A world away from home, Yastremska is fulfilling her dreams – and holding onto hope for her country.
