“I leave Montreal with my head held high”: Proud Marta Kostyuk vows to do ‘everything’ to play Cincinnati Open

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk has penned an emotional letter for the fans after having a painful exit from the ongoing Cincinnati Open. The 23-year-old was forced to retire from the quarterfinal of the ongoing WTA 1000 event in Montreal after suffering an injury against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. The final score of the match was 6-1, 2-1.

It was the third time in three attempts this season that Kostyuk failed to get past the quarterfinal stage in a WTA event. Back in February, in Doha, Qatar, Kostyuk suffered a defeat to America’s Amanda Anisimova with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Later in April, Kostyuk suffered a defeat in the quarterfinal of the Madrid Open to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6.

The recent setback, however, is a severe blow for Kostyuk, who came into the competition after suffering five consecutive defeats in the last five events. She lost her first matches at the French Open to the Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek in straight sets (6-3, 6-1), at the Berlin and Homburg Open to America’s Emma Navarro in straight sets (6-2, 6-3), (6-2, 7-5), at Wimbledon to Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) and at the DC Open to Britain’s Emma Raducanu in straight sets (7-6, 6-4).

Before facing Rybakina, Kostyuk defeated the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in the first, Australia’s Daria Kasatkina in the second and America’s McCartney Kessler in the third round. In a post on her Instagram after the match, Kostyuk expressed disappointment after failing to complete the match because of a fitness issue. She also promised her fans that she will do all in her power to become fit ahead of the upcoming Cincinnati Open.

"It’s hard to put into words how this week went,” wrote Kostyuk. “It ended painfully, but it was also one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable weeks I’ve had on tour. I felt present, alive, and this week reminded me how much I love all of this. There were so many victories, on and off the court, that meant far more than any result. These are moments that will stay with me long after this week. I leave Montreal with my head held high and my heart full of emotions. To everyone who came to see me, supported me, and sent me messages—thank you. Things wouldn’t have been the same without you. I will do everything to be ready for Cincinnati. And I’m already looking forward to coming back here in two years to play in front of this incredible crowd again. All my love, Montreal.”

On the other hand, the result was an important one for Rybakina, who has now booked her spot in the semifinal of her second consecutive WTA event. She lost to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the semifinal of the DC Open with a score of 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. The match lasted more than three hours. This time around, Rybakina will once again be facing a Canadian opponent in the form of young Victoria Mboko. The 18-year-old has been a real surprise package in the competition and cemented her spot in the last-four after beating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-2. Talking ahead of the contest, Rybakina was full of praise for the youngster and admitted that she will face a ‘dangerous’ opponent.

“She’s [Mboko] a tough opponent,” said Rybakina. “She has really good strokes, and she plays fast, and she has really good serve. I feel like in Washington it was also a bit difficult for both of us since it was a night match, and the conditions were, like, very different. Now we are playing here, and it’s more consistent, I would say. So she’s definitely dangerous. She has nothing to lose, and I’m sure she’s enjoying it out there. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough one. Hopefully I can bring my best.”