"I truly don't understand these players": Marta Kostyuk condemns players for bowing to 'psychological pressure' and 'propaganda' in playing Russian exhibition
WTA
Ukrainian
tennis player Marta Kostyuk criticized WTA and ATP players who participated in
the tennis exhibition in Russia during the 2023 off-season. The 21-year-old
reached the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open and defeated Russian Elina
Avanesyan in the third round.
During a
press conference, Kostyuk was asked about the exhibition played in St.
Petersburg a few weeks ago, which featured the participation of several tennis
players. She commented, "Russia is very well-known for very well
psychological pressure and propaganda."
Read also
Kostyuk has
expressed multiple times that Russian and Belarusian tennis players should be
excluded from tournaments and directly criticized Russia, stating, "It's
really their specialty. You know, they're not bad at it. They're actually
really good. People, they get caught in it. You really need to be sharp all the
time."
Recently,
Kostyuk withdrew from an exhibition in France after it was announced that her
opponent would be the 16-year-old star Mirra Andreeva. The world No. 37
expressed her opinion that there are always choices, and tennis players often
prioritize money over morals:
"Every
single day there are choices in front of you about anything. I feel like as
long as people are doing easy choices and the ones that benefit them the most,
this is where we have a problem. Like, what's going on in the world? Look
around," Kostyuk said.
"People
get manipulated and get caught. It's never just tennis. Go to Russia and play
this tournament where they pay you a lot of money. I'm pretty sure they just
got paid a lot of money, so that's why they went there. I just have different
beliefs. I truly don't understand these players. I don't know why they did it.
Yeah, congrats to Russia's propaganda. It works. Not always, but it works,
unfortunately," she added.
Kostyuk to fourth round
Marta
Kostyuk has advanced to the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open with
victories over Claire Liu (No. 99), the 25th seed Elise Mertens, and Elina
Avanesyan (No. 74), all in three sets. At just 21 years old, Kostyuk reaches
the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, recalling
her run at the 2021 French Open, where she was defeated by Iga Swiatek but
notably secured a victory over the two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine
Muguruza.
In the
fourth round, she will face yet another Russian opponent, Maria Timofeeva, 20
years old, who advanced from the qualifiers and has displayed an impressive
level by surprising Alize Cornet (6-2, 6-4), former world No. 1 Caroline
Wozniacki (1-6, 4-6, 1-6), and the 10th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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