Stadium Court Six at Indian Wells will on Friday play host to two Ukrainian sisters, who escaped from Odessa when the bombs began falling.
The Yastremskas went first to Lyon, the place Dayana completed runner-up within the singles, and Ivanna made her WTA debut alongside her sister within the doubles.
Now in California, the sisters are pairing up once more to play Irina Camelia-Begu and Monica Niculescu of Romania.
“I’d say we’re extra like mates,” Dayana instructed BBC Sport.
Dayana is 21, however Ivanna is simply 15. So the older sister has had to tackle some parental duties as effectively.
“Before, I do not keep in mind once we have been spending that a lot time collectively, or travelling collectively, and it is a fairly excessive accountability on me now,” she added.
“I’m making an attempt my greatest. I’m making an attempt to make some enjoyable so she will really feel fairly relaxed. She appears very tall and massive, however inside she may be very small and she misses her mother and father.
“When I misplaced the ultimate in Lyon we went again to the room – she began to cry and saying I would like to go house, I would like to see the mother and father. And I felt additionally very unhealthy and I had to strive and calm her down.”
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, the sisters spent two nights sheltering with their mother and father in an underground automotive park in Odessa, a southwestern metropolis on the Black Sea.
Their father determined they need to depart the nation as quickly as potential, and in order that they made their approach to the Romanian border on the Danube river with their mom.
Mum, although, had determined she ought to return to be together with her husband, and so the sisters travelled on with out her to Lyon to compete on the WTA Tour.
It isn’t all the time simple for them to communicate to their mother and father because the web is intermittent, and they’re spending a few of their time sheltering beneath floor. But at the least there’s to date no harm to the household house.
“We reside someplace on the facet of Odessa, the place often now they don’t seem to be placing bombs, rockets and taking pictures,” Dayana defined.
“Our home is close to the ocean and for now this a part of Odessa isn’t destroyed. But it is sort of harmful as a result of our home is sort of excessive and it is probably the greatest flats in Odessa. And we’re additionally residing fairly excessive on ground 12.”
Dayana now walks onto courtroom with the Ukrainian flag draped round her shoulders. She did so in Lyon, the place solely Zhang Shuai may cease her within the last, and then once more in Indian Wells on Wednesday when she misplaced a decent three-set match to Caroline Garcia.
“When we arrived to Lyon, I understood that I’ve to play good. I’ve to play not just for myself however at the least for my nation as a result of when you play good you will have extra alternative to discuss your story, and Ukraine, and extra individuals can hear you,” Dayana continued.
“I strive not to put collectively individuals and their character with their politics. So after I meet the Russian gamers, I keep the identical with them.
“It’s nothing about precisely them, and they’re supporting and asking ‘How’s your loved ones?’ I believe they sort of perceive what’s going on. I’m OK with all people.”
Yastremska is presently simply exterior the world’s high 100, however has received three WTA titles and been as excessive as 21 within the rankings.
She missed the primary six months of final 12 months after testing constructive for an anabolic agent. The ban was later lifted by an impartial tribunal which accepted the constructive take a look at had been contaminated.
So she has a profession to take into consideration, at a time when all her ideas are with household and mates nonetheless in Ukraine.
Dayana and Ivanna will stick collectively. They plan to transfer on to Miami subsequent, and then presumably to Bogota or Istanbul.
“I’m undecided if we’re going to be again to Ukraine,” Dayana mentioned on the finish of our dialog.
“If the battle goes to cease, then we’ll go to see the household. If not, then we’re going to fly from one event to one other event.”
