Marta Kostyuk has shared her experience of working with Sandra Zaniewska amid complaints that there is a huge lack of female coaches in professional tennis.
Some of World No. 33 Kostyuk's biggest influences in the sport are women. The 21-year-old has been coached by her mother Talina Beiko for most of her life and she began working with Zaniewska after this year's Wimbledon.
The Polish tennis coach, who finished as runner-up in the girls' doubles at the 2009 Australian Open with partner Aleksandra Krunic, worked with World No. 48
Petra Martic from 2017 to 2019 and has also joined forces with Alize Cornet in the past.
Kostyuk hopes to encourage more players to work with female coaches
In a recent interview, the Ukrainian player opened up on her positive dynamic with Zaniewska and how she hopes to encourage more young girls to work with female coaches.
"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. They cannot express what you feel and adjust.
"I've been coached by my mom for most of my life, by a woman. I'm very happy and I really hope that examples of mine and Sandra will bring more coaches on tour and the girls will trust more women," she said.
Kostyuk also opened up on how Zaniewska helps her to express her emotions.
"I'm feeling very relaxed because I don't have to pretend or be scared, or I don't know how to tell her something because I don't know how she will react.
"I'm very emotional so a lot of coaches before would try and control it, like you cannot throw your racquet or something like this. She just lets me be how I am and who I am. We feel free," she continued.