Marta Kostyuk has the talent to become one of the big superstars of tennis over the next few weeks and the time has come for the Ukrainian to believe she deserves to be at the top.
Her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open may be seen as overdue for a player who has long been tipped to scale the heights in the game, but may have lacked the mental strength required to become a champion.
Kostyuk may be the best mover on a tennis court in all of women’s tennis, with her greatest strength coming to the fore during her hugely impressive run in Madrid.
Her ability to get the ball back into play when she appeared to be out of points was a recurring theme throughout her run in Madrid, with his ball striking so impressively when the moment came to strike.
The way she closed out her final against Mirra Andreeva to win the biggest title of her career was evidence that her reputation for being crippled by nerves in big moments can be controlled and the confidence she needs to take from her breakthrough win needs to be the springboard for so much more.
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She might not entirely believe this sentiment, but Kostyuk is a now big contender to win her first Grand Slam title at the French Open and she needs to take inspiration from her performances in Madrid when she lands at Roland Garros later this month.
In the past, she hasn’t always had that mental strength to push for victory, but maybe the time has now come for Kostyuk to go to the next level.
Her widely misinterpreted exclusive interview with Tennis365 in Wuhan last year included comments that admitted she felt some of her opponents were “bigger and stronger” than her highlighted a mindset when she takes on players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, but the truth is Kostyuk has an athleticism that is more than good enough to match the best in women’s tennis.
Add in some winning confidence to the weapons she has at her disposal and she will be a threat to win on any surface, with her comments after her win in Madrid highlighting her desire to ensure the big win in Madrid is the start of a new chapter in her story.
“It took me many years to reach this point, and one word I think about right now is consistency,” said Kostyuk after her win in Madrid, in a post-match speech where she also admitted she had come close to giving up tennis on numerous occasions.
“It’s showing up every day, no matter how hard it is, no matter how much you love or hate what you do.
“I’ve been doing that really well the past few years, I think, so I’m very proud of myself and my team.”
Kostyuk will rise to No 15 in the WTA Rankings after her Madrid Open triumph and she has to look at what she had produced in this tournament and accept that she belongs in the top 10 and among the contenders for all the big titles.
If this triumph doesn’t encourage her to embrace her position as one of the best players and shining stars of women’s tennis, nothing will.
Yet her press conference in Madrid suggested her ambitions, especially when it comes to her ranking, is a little more modest.
“I don’t focus on the rankings. My goal, not even my goal, but I was, I would be very happy if I finished clay court season in top 20,” she added.
“I didn’t think about, you know, a specific number or anything. I just wanted to be as consistent as possible. I didn’t think about it.
“I still don’t think about the ranking, because ranking is just a consequence of what you do on the court. Yeah, nothing changes.
“Probably I’ll get a bit better draws, but, you know, at the end, all the players are super solid and really good. So I don’t focus on that. As I said, I just want to keep working and enjoying.”
It’s time to believe you belong at the top Marta, as your win in Madrid banishes the theory that you cannot match the best physically and mentally when it matters most.
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