Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk has opened up on the success of her fellow countrywomen and her shock at how the conflict with Russia is now perceived as she continues to progress through the Australian Open.
Kostyuk managed to land a quarter-final showdown with Coco Gauff on Sunday with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over Russian Maria Timofeeva.
The 21-year-old previously launched her career at the Australian Open when she landed in the third round in 2018. Reaching the quarter finals is her best effort since then.
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Fellow Ukrainians Dayana Yastremska and Elina Svitolina will feature in the fourth round on Monday.
Ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the war has led to a number of sporting figures speaking out on the atrocities, with Kostyuk previously detailing how traumatising the last two years have been.
Asked how the Ukrainian players have put this aside and performed admirably in the tournament, Kostyuk put it down to strength of character.
"That's a very good question. I don't know. I really don't. I think it just shows that there is no limit in human possibilities withstanding stress and all around it," she said.
"For me personally, it was very difficult, but at the same time I've grown a lot as a person. The oddest things that have happened, they helped me to grow this quick.
'If there was never a war in my life, I don't think I would be able to grow this much as I grew in the last two years.
"I think it's about the perspective, how you take it, because there are different things that happening … I think the more you can minimise this feeling of being a victim, I think the easier it is to get through life.
"I mean, I'm very proud of all of us, honestly, for standing for so long and not losing faith and still fighting and fighting for our rights and fighting for everyone basically. I think it just shows how strong Ukrainian people are."
With Kostyuk based in Monaco, the world No.35 admitted she has to "go through all the information myself" to keep herself informed on the situation in her home country.
The 21-year-old has previously said that every time she steps on the court, it's a message to the people that the war is still ongoing.
With Yastremska and Svitolina still in the tournament, Kostyuk said she hopes that same message continues.
"I hope so because, as I said, it really seems for a lot of people that it's over," she said.
"Something incredible happened. The Ukraine managed to not be captured in three days, in Kyiv as well. So it was kind of like all a miracle … I hope that the girls can keep on doing what they're doing and reminding (people) as much as possible.
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"I had a very long break because I finished my season in Beijing, and I only restarted in Brisbane. I was out for almost three months. I really wasn't around these players. I wasn't on tour, so you get used to not being on tour.
"It was not talked about at all. When I came back, I was, like, wow, OK, everyone is back to normal life like nothing happened ever.
"I think it's not right. I think that it's not easy for specifically for me – I will talk about myself – that in order to bring out as much thorough information as I can on everything that's going on in Ukraine, I need to follow the news all the time, and I need to know what's going on because I don't have anyone calling me from Ukraine, like, 'hello, Marta, this, this, this happened today, these are the highlights or whatever'.
"I have to go through all the information myself and see what's the best way to present it to people so they understand it in the most easiest way, I would say. It's an extra duty that I have that I don't think other players have, I mean from other countries.
"Sometimes the news is not great, and it can really … shift the mood and shift your fighting spirit and so on because there are times where you really are on the edge of giving up and on the edge of not understanding why the world is like this and not the other way.
"I just try to grow through it and I try to establish myself in different ways, not even for people, but for myself, first of all.
"I think we will just keep on going and winning."
Kostyuk's quarter final showdown with Gauff will take place on Tuesday January 23.
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