There was a time in Dayana Yastremska’s younger profession the place she loved her independence away from her household as she navigated life as an expert tennis participant.
Yastremska’s mother and father had travelled together with her through the early levels of her time on the WTA Tour, nevertheless the Ukrainian reached some extent the place she wished to department out on her personal.
“I had a interval the place I wished to really feel a bit older, extra accountable and do issues simply on my own,” Yastremska stated.
However over time, and in opposition to the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine warfare, the 23-year-old realised she wished to have members of the family by her aspect.
After advancing to the Australian Open semifinals ranked 93 on the planet – and turning into the primary qualifier to take action in girls’s singles in 46 years – Yastremska paid tribute to her mom Marina, who’s accompanying her daughter in Melbourne.
“From final 12 months, my mom began once more to journey with me for some tournaments,” Yastremska stated after her 6-3, 6-4 win over Linda Nosková of their quarterfinal.
“I feel it is very nice as a result of earlier than I all the time wished to be on my own, alone, and now we have now a greater relationship than earlier than and we will spend plenty of time behind the court docket collectively.
“We are able to go stroll and do many issues. I feel that it actually helps when there’s somebody from the household with you.”
Yastremska added: “I feel in tennis, it is essential to have household near you. When the warfare began, I used to be travelling half the 12 months simply with my sister, and my mother and father have been at dwelling.”
‘It is my mission right here’
Yastremska has spoken through the Australian Open concerning the impact the continued warfare with Russia is having on her and different Ukrainian gamers.
As she left Rod Laver Area following her defeat of Nosková, she wrote a message of help to the Ukrainian individuals on one of many TV cameras, which learn: “I am happy with our preventing individuals from Ukraine.”
Talking afterwards, Yastremska defined the importance of what she wrote.
“They actually deserve an enormous respect. I all the time attempt to write one thing for Ukraine, about Ukraine,” she stated.
“I feel it is my mission right here … I am simply making an attempt to provide the sign to Ukraine that I am actually happy with it.”
When she arrived in Melbourne to play the Australian Open qualifying event earlier this month, Yastremska — who has been ranked as excessive as 21 — admits she didn’t set particular targets.
“I used to be simply specializing in enjoying every match, on bettering,” she stated.
“I used to be engaged on some issues that may be a little bit private. It was extra associating with my head and with the way in which I really feel on court docket.
“I wasn’t actually placing the purpose to go quarters, fourth spherical, semis or no matter. I used to be simply making an attempt to get pleasure from enjoying right here.”
Yastremska is the primary Ukrainian to succeed in the ladies’s semifinals on the Australian Open.
She’s going to play both twelfth seed Zheng Qinwen or Anna Kalinskaya within the final 4.
