--- title: "“This is disgusting and tragic”: Yuliia Starodubtseva admits she has not been in her hometown since 2022" description: "Ukrainian tennis player Yuliia Starodubtseva told Sport RBC.UA in an interview that she has not been in her hometown of Kakhovka since 2022 due to the occupation of the city, and spoke about her feelings on court amid strikes on Ukraine." date: 2026-09-16T10:04:08.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/yuliia-starodubtseva-has-not-been-in-her-hometown-since-2022 tags: [tennis, wta, ukraine, yulia-starodubtseva, kakhovka, interview] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “This is disgusting and tragic”: Yuliia Starodubtseva admits she has not been in her hometown since 2022 ![Yulia Starodubtseva in a portrait photo: crossed arms, black T-shirt and maroon trousers against a blue backdrop — the actress revealed she has not been in her family home since 2022](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/16/yuliya-starodubtseva-ne-byla-v-rodnom-dom-s-2022-goda/yuliya-starodubtseva-ne-byla-v-rodnom-dom-s-2022-goda-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Yuliia Starodubtseva has not been in her hometown of Kakhovka since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, as the city remains under temporary occupation. - The tennis player called the inability to get to her hometown her greatest personal pain and does not currently plan a trip to Ukraine for this reason. - Against the backdrop of massive strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, the athlete stated that the reaction to them is the same for every Ukrainian and that it is “disgusting and tragic.” - Starodubtseva emphasized her love for Ukraine and its cuisine, noting that even her Australian boyfriend agrees that Ukrainian cuisine is the best in the world. Ukrainian tennis player **Yuliia Starodubtseva** spoke openly in an exclusive interview with [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/nema-mozhlivosti-starodubtseva-ziznalas-shcho-1789550684.html) about her personal experiences related to the war and her inability to return to her hometown. The athlete, who has been in breakthrough form on the WTA world tour in recent months, admitted that she has not been in her city since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and does not currently plan to travel to Ukraine for precisely this reason. Her words became one of the most emotional statements by Ukrainian athletes about the impact of the fighting on private life. ### Emotions on court amid strikes on infrastructure Starodubtseva shared what she feels when stepping onto the court against the backdrop of news about the latest massive Russian strikes on civilian objects and Ukraine's infrastructure. According to her, the reaction to such events is the same for “every normal Ukrainian,” and she is no exception. “This is disgusting and tragic,” the tennis player emphasized, noting that her professional obligations do not switch off her human reaction to what is happening in the country. Thus, for the athlete, a match on the WTA tour is inseparable from awareness of what is happening at home, and, by her own admission, this adds an emotional burden to an already tight competitive schedule. ### Hometown under temporary occupation Starodubtseva called the inability to get to her hometown her greatest personal pain. Her hometown, **Kakhovka**, remains under temporary occupation, which makes a return there impossible at this time. “I have not been home since 2022 and I am not planning to go to Ukraine yet, because I cannot come to my hometown. But if the question is whether I would like to at least visit Ukraine as a vacation, then the answer is yes, very much,” the tennis player said. It is important that she links her refusal to travel not with an unwillingness to see relatives or acquaintances, but solely with the fact that her hometown is inaccessible, and therefore a visit would not be complete. ### Competitive schedule, love for the country, and Ukrainian cuisine At the moment, according to the athlete, a tight competitive schedule also prevents her from visiting Ukraine, leaving no free time for trips. At the same time, Starodubtseva emphasized that she loves the country, its people, and Ukrainian culture, which she actively seeks out away from home. Cuisine occupied a special place in her remarks: “I look for our cuisine all over the world, because even after everything I have tried, I can confidently say that Ukrainian cuisine is the best in the world. Even my Australian boyfriend agrees,” the tennis player noted. These words underscore that, despite the physical distance, her cultural and emotional connection to Ukraine remains one of the key ones for her. ### Context: breakthrough in the WTA ranking and victory over Rybakina Starodubtseva's remarks came against the backdrop of her sporting rise: it was previously reported that the Ukrainian named her next goal after her breakthrough in the WTA ranking. Among her recent notable results is a victory over **Elena Rybakina**, after which, as the athlete herself recalled, she doubted whether she could repeat such a level of play. Thus, the personal story of being unable to return to occupied Kakhovka and her professional growth on the world tour combine into a single portrait of a Ukrainian tennis player for whom sport and patriotism are inseparable. Full details of the interview and background are available in the materials of [Sport RBC.UA](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/yuliya-starodubtseva-pislya-peremogi-ribakinoyu-1789455481.html). ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [No opportunity: Starodubtseva admits she has not been home since 2022](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/nema-mozhlivosti-starodubtseva-ziznalas-shcho-1789550684.html) - Первичный источник: эксклюзивное интервью, цитаты о реакции на удары, о невозможности вернуться в Каховку с 2022 года, о спортивном графике и украинской кухне. - [Yuliia Starodubtseva: “After beating Rybakina, I wondered if I could do it again”](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/tennis/yuliya-starodubtseva-pislya-peremogi-ribakinoyu-1789455481.html) - Первичный источник: эксклюзивное интервью, цитаты о реакции на удары, о невозможности вернуться в Каховку с 2022 года, о спортивном графике и украинской кухне. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why has Yuliia Starodubtseva not been home since 2022? **A:** Because her hometown of Kakhovka remains under temporary occupation, and she cannot return to her home. The athlete herself called this her greatest personal pain. ### Q: Is Starodubtseva planning a trip to Ukraine? **A:** Not yet: she explains that she cannot come to her hometown, so she is not planning a visit. At the same time, she emphasizes that she would like to at least visit Ukraine as a vacation — “yes, very much.” ### Q: What did the athlete say about the reaction to strikes on Ukraine? **A:** She stated that every Ukrainian's reaction to the massive strikes is the same and she is no exception, calling what is happening “disgusting and tragic.” ### Q: What is the sporting context of this interview? **A:** The remarks came against the backdrop of Starodubtseva's breakthrough in the WTA ranking and her victory over Elena Rybakina, after which she doubted whether she could repeat such a level of play.