(Lyon) “Woke up by the bombs”: Dayana Yastremska, 128^and world doubles player, and her younger sister Ivanna, 15, recounted on Monday their escape from Ukraine and their joy at participating in the WTA tournament in Lyon, despite a defeat in the first round in doubles.

The two young players, who received an invitation, lost 6-2, 6-4 against the Spanish-Swiss pair Garcia / Knoll, but the essential is not there.

“We are happy to have been able to play the doubles together and we thank the WTA and the tournament management for the invitations. I’m proud of my sister, but at the same time, we didn’t have too much energy with what’s going on in Ukraine,” Dayana said at a press conference.

The one who had reached the 21^and world singles spot in early 2020 — before falling in the standings after a doping case from which she was cleared eight months later — received an invitation that left on February 22, two days before the start of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.

At a press conference, Dayana Yastremska was the only one to speak alongside her sister who wore the Ukrainian gold and blue flag on her shoulders.

“On Wednesday we were at home in Odessa (southern Ukraine, editor’s note). We spent time with our family before making this long trip to Lyon with my father. The evening was pleasant. But the next morning we were awakened by the bombs,” she said.

“We didn’t realize or understand what was going on. It was crazy. It was neither a movie nor a video game. We were very shocked. We left the apartment to take shelter in the underground parking lot while the bombs continued to explode, ”added the player, confident of having spent three nights without sleep.

“We finished on foot”

The 21-year-old player then recounted her journey to reach Romania after her father, who remained in Ukraine, decided to send his wife and two daughters away.

“The journey took four hours to reach the Danube at the Romanian border. We were afraid of bombs or of crossing Russian tanks. There was a long line of cars at the border and we ended up on foot. This is where we said goodbye to our parents, as our mother eventually stayed,” Dayana added.

“On the other side, after passing the controls, people were nice and gave us food and drink,” she says. And it was from Bucharest that they were able to take a flight to Lyon.

The two sisters today say they are sad to have left their family in a country at war, but relieved to be in France. A new life begins.

“I’m 21 and I used to be used to traveling with my mum or dad controlling everything in a good way. It was easy, but today it’s the opposite and more complicated. For now, Ivanna will be coming with me and I have a huge responsibility. I’m proud of her. She is just starting out in professional tennis,” says Dayana.

The youngest of the Yastremska sisters has so far only played four games, all lost, on the ITF Juniors circuit.

For Dayana, the objective is to do the best possible on the circuit, and at the Lyon tournament. She still has to play in singles on Tuesday against Romania’s Ana Bogdan.

“I can’t completely focus on tennis, but what motivates me the most is my country and its people trying to save their lives. I want to see for both of our future”, she added, wishing for this “to find (s) our level”.

“We wanted to help her in her ambition to move up the rankings so that she can enter tournaments more easily,” explains Pascal Biojout, director of the Lyon tournament, a WTA 250.

“Since the events, a momentum seems to be building around her and Dayana could get an invitation to Indian Wells (a tournament classified in the WTA 1000 category, Ed). In general, players feel indebted to this type of gesture and we hope that it will return next year. »