"If I had lost today, it wouldn’t matter that much in a year, or even in a few weeks": Marta Kostyuk holds on to carefree attitude for success

Marta Kostyuk continued her impressive run in Madrid, overcoming Linda Nosková 7–6, 6–0 to book a place in the semi-finals, where she will face Anastasia Potapova.

Speaking to Tennis Channel after the match, Kostyuk admitted the opening set was far from straightforward, as she adjusted to conditions on centre court at the Madrid Open.

“I think I started the match a bit shaky. It was my first time playing on centre court this year, and it feels really different inside the stadium. I had to adjust to that, and I think she started really well,” she said.

“The wind didn’t help either, I think both of us struggled with it. It was also very cold, so the serve wasn’t working as well as I wanted. I think it was the same for her, we were breaking each other constantly.”

After missing chances to close out the set, Kostyuk found clarity in the tiebreak by committing to a more attacking mindset. “What definitely helped was that I made a decision in the tiebreak to be more aggressive and really take my shots. Throughout the set, I was more aggressive on the return, but on serve I was trying to place the ball rather than really play it.”

That shift proved decisive, and once she edged the opener, the second set quickly became one-way traffic. Kostyuk also pointed to her mentality during key moments, particularly her ability to reset after frustration. “I tried to remind myself that I won that very important game at 2–0, I probably wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t won that. I was a bit frustrated at times, but I just kept telling myself, next one, next one.”

“The game was moving very fast. We kept breaking each other, and everything felt very quick. I just forced myself to be more aggressive, even though it wasn’t easy, especially on the return. I accepted it and just kept moving forward.”

A noticeable feature of Kostyuk’s game has been her positioning, frequently stepping inside the baseline to dictate play. She credits her physical preparation, but also a growing trust in her movement. “I’ve always put in a lot of physical work, that hasn’t changed. But now I think I trust it more. I know I can outrun someone or be there for every ball. Against players like Linda, you can’t just run and put the ball back, you can, but then you’re just hoping they miss. I didn’t want that uncertainty. I wanted a good balance between not overplaying and not being too passive.”

Looking ahead to her semi-final against Potapova, Kostyuk acknowledged a different kind of pressure compared to facing the very top players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, or Iga Świątek. “I played a final against Aryna this year, and a semi-final at Indian Wells against Iga. Tomorrow will be different because I’m not going into the match as an underdog,” she explained. "It’s a good feeling, but it also brings pressure. When you play those top players, it’s different, they’re confident, they’ve been there a long time, and you have to dig a lot.”

Despite the stakes, Kostyuk is determined to keep her perspective grounded as she approaches the latter stages of the tournament. “Today was actually a more nervous day because the closer you get to the end, the more it weighs on you. I think it’s like that for everyone. But I tried to change my perspective. No matter what happened today, I know I’ll keep doing the same things. My focus is on long-term goals and how I want to progress as a player. If I had lost today, it wouldn’t matter that much in a year, or even in a few weeks, because tennis is constantly moving. I try to hold on to that and just enjoy playing.”

With confidence growing and her aggressive style clicking into place, Kostyuk heads into the semi-finals not just in form, but with a clear mindset. “I’m excited to be in this position and to play the match like a normal one. I just try to find joy in this and keep improving.”