"I'm proud of our fighting people from Ukraine" - Dayana Yastremska pens heartfelt message for compatriots after reaching Australian Open SF

Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska has penned a heartfelt message for her people, who are fighting against Russia after entering the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time. She said that she is proud of her compatriots who are fighting for her homeland.

The 23-year-old Yastremska beat Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) in the quarterfinals of the tournament on Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday. In the process, she became only the fourth qualifier in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament.

"I'm proud of our fighting people from Ukraine," she wrote on the TV camera after her quarter-finals win.

Of late, it has become normal for tennis stars to scribble on TV cameras after their matches. While some simply write their signatures, others use the canvas to send messages to the audience about various issues affecting people.

In her post-match press conference after her fourth round victory over former Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Yastremska said:

"The war, of course, it's affected us, well, a lot. Because you cannot go home like you wanted, when you wanted, like it was before. You always read the news. You always see the videos."

Though she had found ways to cope with the turmoil she had been experiencing, she said that it is tough emotionally to play tennis when a war is ravaging her nation. Hardship has made Yastremska, who fled Ukraine in February 2022, more resilient. The Ukrainian star had said that her grandmother’s house was struck in an attack before one of her matches at the Brisbane International.

"But just in general, it's tough to play, but after two years you get to manage already how to deal with all the emotions and with everything that is going on inside," the Ukrainian tennis star said at her press conference.

Yastremska, who is ranked No. 93 in the world, has “Made of Bravery” and “Be Brave Like Ukraine” messages in yellow and blue – the colors of the nation’s flag, emblazoned on her racquet bag.

Dayana Yastremska takes a step closer to replicating Emma Raducanu's US Open 2021 run

Dayana Yastremska after winning a point at the fourth round of Australian Open 2024

Dayana Yastremska is now a step closer to replicating British tennis star Emma Raducanu's success at the US Open in 2021. Raducanu was the first player to win a Grand Slam tournament as a qualifier.

Unlike Yastremska, who lost the second set in her third-round match against 27th seed Emma Navarro, the Brit did not drop a single set during her successful run at the US Open.

The Ukrainian beat reigning Wimbledon champions Marketa Vondrousova and Varvara Gracheva in the previous rounds. The 23-year-old would see a huge jump in the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) rankings and as of now she is assured of finishing in the top-50 rank after the Australian Open 2024.

Yastremska will face the winner of the quarterfinals between No. 12 Qinwen Zheng of China and Russia's Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the Australian Open final.