Age: 23 Nationality: Ukraine World rating: 93
Seeded gamers fell repeatedly early on within the girls’s draw – and Yastremska was answerable for taking out three of the highest 32.
Now, after sweeping previous Czech teenager Linda Noskova, she is the primary qualifier to succeed in a Grand Slam semi-final since Emma Raducanu, who famously went on to win the 2021 US Open.
What Raducanu achieved is unparalleled. Yastremska is 2 wins away from matching it.
When Yastremska arrived in Melbourne, she was solely serious about coming by way of three qualifying rounds to succeed in the primary draw.
“I used to be engaged on some issues which are somewhat bit private. It was extra associating with my head and with the best way I really feel on courtroom,” she mentioned.
“I used to be simply making an attempt to take pleasure in taking part in right here.”
Not like Raducanu in New York, Yastremska already has pedigree on the WTA Tour.
She reached a career-high twenty first on the earth in January 2020 however a six-month provisional ban for a failed doping take a look at – which was later lifted – and the results of the warfare in her nation noticed her drop down the rankings.
“A number of issues affected me, and due to that I could not actually play like I wished,” she mentioned.
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Yastremska and her 15-year-old sister – who’re from the port metropolis of Odesa, which has been focused by missiles – slept in an underground automotive park for 2 nights earlier than the pair fled to France.
For a number of months they travelled collectively to WTA occasions world wide as their mother and father remained again residence.
Whereas her father doesn’t depart Ukraine repeatedly, Yastremska’s mom Maryna is accompanying her on the street and has been a chilled presence in Melbourne.
Yastremska says they’ve a “higher relationship than earlier than” and luxuriate in spending “quite a lot of time” off the courtroom collectively.
She says she has an curiosity in “modelling, vogue, philosophy” and in addition plans to launch a tune subsequent month.
“It isn’t simply mine. It is gonna be three of us, from three completely different international locations, who obtained collectively,” she mentioned.
“I am not going to speak a lot about it. You are going to hear it quickly, I hope.”