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 along with her in the course of the early levels of her time on the WTA Tour, nonetheless the Ukrainian reached a degree 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 mentioned.
However over time, and in opposition to the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine battle, the 23-year-old realised she wished to have members of the family by her facet.
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 yr, my mom began once more to journey with me for some tournaments,” Yastremska mentioned after her 6-3, 6-4 win over Linda Nosková of their quarterfinal.
“I believe it is very nice as a result of earlier than I all the time wished to be on my own, alone, and now we’ve got a greater relationship than earlier than and we are able to spend a variety of time behind the courtroom collectively.
“We will go stroll and do many issues. I believe that it actually helps when there may be somebody from the household with you.”
Yastremska added: “I believe in tennis, it is essential to have household near you. When the battle began, I used to be travelling half the yr simply with my sister, and my mother and father had been at residence.”
‘It is my mission right here’
Yastremska has spoken in the course of the Australian Open concerning the impact the continued battle with Russia is having on her and different Ukrainian gamers.
As she left Rod Laver Enviornment following her defeat of Nosková, she wrote a message of help to the Ukrainian folks on one of many TV cameras, which learn: “I am happy with our combating folks 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 mentioned.
“I believe it is my mission right here … I am simply attempting to offer the sign to Ukraine that I am actually happy with it.”
When she arrived in Melbourne to play the Australian Open qualifying match 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 enhancing,” she mentioned.
“I used to be engaged on some issues that could be a little bit private. It was extra associating with my head and with the way in which I really feel on courtroom.
“I wasn’t actually placing the aim to go quarters, fourth spherical, semis or no matter. I used to be simply attempting 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.