Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk reflects on her tennis journey, acknowledging the importance of perspective and self-appreciation in her career.
Kostyuk, who made her debut at the 2018 Australian Open at just 15, initially struggled to handle the pressure she put on herself to meet high expectations. Despite achieving a career-high ranking of No. 27 this year, she continued to demand excellence from herself, often overshadowing her accomplishments.
However, Kostyuk’s recent experiences have helped her gain a fresh outlook. She credits her coach, Sandra Zaniewska, for allowing her to be her authentic self on and off the court. Zaniewska’s support has enabled Kostyuk to relax and embrace her emotions during matches.
She explained to WTA Insider that, “usually when I had this kind of behavior, no one for one second would accept it or try to understand why I feel this way, or try and have a conversation with me, or even just let me be.” “She did, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is coaching at the next level.’ I’ve never witnessed this.”
“I’m a person who talks, and it was very difficult for me because when you work with a male coach, most of them don’t talk,” Kostyuk said. “They cannot express what you feel and adjust.”
“My mother has been my primary coach for the most of my life. I’m thrilled, and I sincerely hope that Sandra and my examples will inspire other female coaches to join the tour and increase students’ faith in them.”
The Ukrainian player cherishes moments of intuition and humor during her matches, like sharing a laugh with Zaniewska over quirky sunglasses gifted by a fan. Kostyuk now values the freedom to express herself without fear of judgment, finding a balance between her competitive drive and enjoying her tennis career.
“This trip really taught me to take the losses differently. I believe that every loss is a win, in a way. You have to see it only in this way.”- Marta Kostyuk
Kostyuk’s journey serves as a reminder of the significance of self-acknowledgment and a healthy perspective in a highly competitive sport.
One of the biggest wins of her career 👏@marta_kostyuk ousts Jabeur in Beijing to progress to the Round of 16!#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/dUj9zH6LHM
— wta (@WTA) October 3, 2023
“There is nothing you can change about the fact that you lost. You can see it two ways, positive and negative. Positive is, you sit down and you really consciously and honestly, with yourself and your coach, talk about what we have to do and you sit and you work.”
“Or you can sit and destroy yourself and talk about how everything you do is wrong. You cannot build on this. You cannot grow, because every time you will hold it in and you will have a three-loss streak and you will break down. So it’s about keeping the emotions and having low highs and high lows.”
Kostyuk in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2023
LWWLWWLWWL Now ranked no.44, the Ukrainian achieved a compiled 26-21 record in 2023. Marta is currently having a run in Beijing where she defeated the world no.33 Elisabetta Cocciaretto 1-6 6-3 6-4 and the world no.7 Ons Jabeur 7-65 6-1.
Marta Kostyuk will square off with the world no.22 Ludmilla Samsonova in the 3rd round on Wednesday at 2:00 pm on LOTUS. Their record is 3-0 for Samsonova.
Kostyuk has won 1 title in 2023 in Austin.
Marta Kostyuk |
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