Key Takeaways
- Marta Kostyuk reached the US Open round of 16 with a clean 6-3, 6-2 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.
- The Ukrainian credited therapy and learning when to rest with keeping her mood stable: “learning when to slow down and when to take a break, I think it was crucial for me.”
- To avoid being overstimulated in New York, Kostyuk stays in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and maintains a strict personal boundary: “Not stay in Manhattan. Rule number one.”
Controlled display guides Ukrainian into second week
Marta Kostyuk delivered a confident third-round performance at the US Open, dispatching Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2 to secure her maiden career victory against the Russian. The win propelled the Ukrainian into the round of 16 in New York, continuing a stellar campaign built on emotional composure and technical clarity.
Despite the clean scoreline, Kostyuk admitted the encounter had its ebbs and flows on court. “I think up and down. I think the match was closer than the score, but for sure I felt good and happy,” Kostyuk explained during her post-match interview. “Was no drama in the second set, no set points have need to be saved. So, yeah, for sure happy with that.”
The two had not crossed paths on tour in several seasons, forcing Kostyuk to quickly read Alexandrova’s game. “Honestly, we’ve played each other so long ago that I didn’t even remember how she played. So was a lot to figure out today,” she noted, also shrugging off praise about closing out points at the net: “Well, I have always done that, so nothing different.”
Finding balance and stepping away from overstimulation
Kostyuk attributed her strong level throughout the year to deliberate mental and emotional discipline. “I think I focus a lot on being as consistent as possible with my game, with my mood, with my approach to difficult things, to you know, to everything,” she said. “And happy that it’s working well. We put a lot of effort into making sure that everything works out, the whole team. Yeah, it’s a journey.”
Maintaining that steady state has required unlearning old tendencies that equated downtime with unproductivity. “I reflect a lot on just my life, my mood, you know, I’m very conscious on when I need to slow down, calm down, have a nap, you know, go for a walk or whatever, so I don’t get overstimulated,” Kostyuk said. “Before I used to be like, ‘Oh, I cannot take a break because, you know, I have to be productive. I have to do a lot. I cannot rest.’ Also a lot of therapy, for sure, helped with that. And I think, yeah, just being surrounded by right people and, you know, just appreciating every day.”
Brooklyn sanctuary and social media boundaries
To shield herself from the bustling atmosphere of New York City, Kostyuk has established strict geographic boundaries during the Grand Slam fortnight. Her top recommendation for maintaining energy is straightforward: “Not stay in Manhattan. Rule number one.”
Instead, she spends the tournament in Brooklyn. “I’m staying in Williamsburg in Brooklyn,” she explained. “For the third year already, and I love it. It’s much more quiet. Just, you know, you feel like part of a community.” During her downtime there, she frequents local wellness spots for contrast therapy. “I love to go for some classes. Again, for reflection, to live through some emotions, for aromatherapy, and just different things,” the Ukrainian revealed, adding that facing the ice bath brings its own reward: “to have a good sweat and push through a very, very cold ice bath to, you know, feel proud of myself. For sure, helps.”
That same search for balance applies to her online presence, where Kostyuk relies on her support network to decide what goes public. “I have a big team behind me and I feel like they’ve also learned what type of person I am and I come up with different things what I would like to share,” Kostyuk said. “We’re a little crazy, too. So, we have to find the, you know, this line where, you know, people think that I’m funny, but not too crazy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5WSjaSLsVs
WTA U.S. Open - Marta Kostyuk's projected path
Kostyuk at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2026
Ranked no.11 (career-high), the Ukrainian has managed to achieve a 36-8 match record in 2026. Marta is participating at the U.S. Open where she bested the world no.169 Storm Hunter 6-4 6-1, the world no.209 Sloane Stephens 6-1 7-5 and the world no.19 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3 6-2.
Marta Kostyuk will compete against the world no.129 Katarzyna Kawa in the . Their actual record is 1-0 for Kostyuk.
Marta has won 2 titles in 2026 in Rouen and Madrid.
