Marta Kostyuk was her own toughest rival for so long during the early stages of her career. As she tried to navigate the pressure that accompanied her status as a teenage prodigy, she often struggled to think clearly on the court without her emotion, fears and desperation to succeed torpedoing her form.
The path towards unlocking her potential has been tough, requiring the Ukrainian to be honest with herself and encounter the right people to help take her forward. That work continues to pay off. Kostyuk made another significant breakthrough by ending the Ukraine derby as the victor, holding her nerve to defeat Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 and reach the semi-final of a grand slam for the first time in her career.
Although Kostyuk has broken new ground in Paris, this is simply a continuation of the form she has put together during what is increasingly looking like a career-defining clay-court season. She is now on an astounding 17-match winning streak, having captured titles in Rouen and Madrid in the buildup to Paris. Considering the clarity and temperament she is playing with each time she steps on the court, she can clearly go further.
After firing down a final unreturned serve, Kostyuk struggled to hold back her emotions as she digested such a significant result. Still, even in her personal triumph, she started her speech on the court by referencing the war back home, earning a long, standing ovation: “I want to start with this historical match that we played today with Elina. We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially Kyiv. So many people dead. I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience.”
This tournament has provided ample reminders of the horrors still unfolding in Ukraine. It started with Kostyuk waking up to the news that Russia had fired a missile within 100 metres of her family home, where her sister, mother and great aunt were staying, yet she had to compose herself and play her first round match. Meanwhile, their compatriot Oleksandra Oliynykova has levelled stinging criticisms of the sport’s handling of Russian players.
Kostyuk will next face the 19-year old Mirra Andreeva, who produced a stellar performance to dismantle Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 and reach her second Paris semi-final. It will be a rematch of their recent final at the Madrid Open. Asked what it is like to play a Ukrainian player in these matches, Andreeva said: “For me it doesn’t matter who I play. I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me. Usually it doesn’t matter to me who I’m playing against, so I’m trying to really focus on the game and on the game plan that I have to use on the court,” she said.
Informed of Andreeva’s comments about their upcoming meeting, Kostyuk responded: “For me it’s not frustrating any more. They are all grown-ups. They know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news. They are clearly aware of what’s going on. If this is something that they want to avoid talking about, they have to live with this, not me. I mean, what can I say? They pick a strategy for themselves that works for them. That’s it.
“Obviously not much I can do about it. I wish there was some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people. I don’t know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know that this is going on, and you have nothing to say about it.”
The enormous, sustained success of Ukrainian women’s tennis is a fascinating topic in itself. The highest-ranked male Ukrainian, Vitaliy Sachko, is 228 in the ATP rankings and there are only four men inside the top 500. By contrast, the women continue to churn out an incredible number of elite players – there are seven women inside the top 100, with four reaching the third round in Paris. Tuesday was a meeting of the country’s two great talents.
For two hours, Kostyuk and Svitolina thought only about tennis. Kostyuk was sharp from the beginning, but then the match shifted as Svitolina responded well, forcing herself inside the baseline and looking for opportunities to dominate with her forehand as she forced a final set.
Previous versions of Kostyuk would have almost certainly cowered under the pressure in the decisive moments of such an important match, but she is a different player now. She saved her best level for the most important moments, eviscerating the Svitolina second serve, pounding her backhand and soaking up so much pressure with her excellent defence. She ended one of the biggest matches of her career playing on her terms and her reward was another monumental achievement and the continuation of the best run of her life.
