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Yuliia Starodubtseva was among the guests at the wedding of Daria Kasatkina and her partner Natalia Zabiiako, which took place in mid-July 2026 on the coast near Athens, Greece.
Kasatkina, who now competes under the Australian flag after changing her sports citizenship, has been known for years for her open opposition to the Russian regime and the war in Ukraine.
Yuliia Starodubtseva's presence attracted a lot of attention and controversy in the tennis world after videos appeared on social media showing her and her compatriot Nadiia Kichenok dancing and having fun at the wedding together with Russian tennis players, including Mirra Andreeva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Because of this, they were publicly criticized by another Ukrainian tennis player, Oleksandra Oliynykova, who said on Instagram that instead of hanging out with Russian athletes and singing Russian songs, they should focus their energy on collecting donations for the Ukrainian army.
Yuliia Starodubtseva soon responded to the criticism, stressing that her support for Ukraine was never in question. She pointed out that she went to the wedding to support her friend and that the event was a rare moment of respite from the personal and family tragedies her family suffered due to the war in Ukraine.
The 26-year-old tennis player stressed that she had already shown with her actions how she felt about the Russian war in Ukraine. Starodubtseva has gone through difficult times just like all Ukrainians, although by playing in prestigious tournaments she manages to shift her focus away from the chaos that reigns in Ukraine.
"First of all, from all my previous actions and interviews i hope there is no doubt on my feelings towards Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Nobody can possibly know the full extent of suffering me and my family have endured - and I’m not asking for sympathy.
I believe nothing can prepare us for the horrors of war and I would never begin to tell anyone how to behave or how to process their trauma. My intention is to bring clarity to the current situation and show a little of who I am and what I stand for."she wrote.
She went on to say that her desire is to show what she stands for and to explain the current situation, which caused an avalanche of reactions on social media.
"I love Ukraine, I love our culture, I love our food and most importantly I love our people. Our people, I believe, are the most amazing, interesting and strong people in the world. Ukraine is my home and always will be."
The 26-year-old did not want to speak openly about the impact of the war on her and her family, not wanting to create bigger problems for the people around her. She emphasizes that she cannot return home because it is now in occupied territory, while her home has been damaged and looted.
"I’ve never publicly spoken about how the war has directly affected me or my family because I fear this may create more danger for my family given their location. The reality is, I can no longer return to my home, because it is now in occupied territory. Both my grandparents homes, where I spent my childhood, have been bombed and my own home has been damaged, ransacked and is in unlivable condition,"Starodubtseva concluded.
Painful family story
Starodubtseva then shared another painful family story, revealing that her grandfather was in a coma for 15 days after a drone attack on his car, fighting for his life.
She added that she had repeatedly feared that she would lose her entire family due to the daily attacks on Ukrainian civilians. She pointed out that these are the realities Ukrainians face every day, but that she has chosen to keep most of these experiences to herself, which is why she believes that no one has the right to tell her how she should feel or experience the war.
Addressing criticism over attending Daria Kasatkina's wedding, Starodubtseva said that she went to the ceremony to celebrate love and support her friend.
She emphasized that Kasatkina's clear anti-war stance has long been known to the public, and that, regardless of the fact that some people have objections to some of the guests at the wedding, her only motive was to support her friend.
Ultimately, this young tennis player must focus on her tennis duties. It is not easy to deal with such strong opponents and play their best tennis at major tournaments when your country is in such chaos.
However, she is aware that sometimes she has to shift her focus to things that are of great importance to her at the moment, even though it is extremely difficult. Yuliia has exciting tournaments ahead of her where she hopes to excel and achieve success.
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