"It took a lot of struggle and difficult moments. But for me, almost nothing changes" - Marta Kostyuk shares the turbulent path she took to the top of tennis

After countless years of trying to live up to the hype and make it in the big time, Marta Kostyuk has finally achieved that. She defeated Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the Madrid Open to take home a maiden WTA 1000 title.

In her press conference, she noted her prior bad form in Madrid while gleaming with joy after such an incredible result. "I mean, obviously to win here is incredible," he began. "I always had a really bad record here up until last year, so yeah, it’s very exciting. But I wanted to enjoy this match as much as possible, no matter the outcome, and this is the goal I achieved. For me, winning it is just a bonus."

She stated out her game plan, opting for an aggressive approach. "I wanted to start the match by putting pressure on her, and I was serving really well today. Regarding the second set, she played really, really well for three games, and I just wanted to keep doing the same thing—and it worked out."

In the end, she was relieved to get away with a scare at the end and to complete the match in straight sets. "But obviously both sets were super close. I had break points down when I was serving for the set, and then she had two set points, so it could go either way. But I’m very happy to finish the match in two sets."

This victory really does mean a lot for Kostyuk. After years of countless pressure, she felt that weight come off her shoulders and was raring to go.

"I think at the beginning of this year I told my team that I finally feel that the achievements I had when I was 15 years old don’t have a weight on me anymore," she commented. "I was living for many years in that state where everyone expected big results from me—almost winning. Having such good results so young was almost like a curse."

The realisation of what she had achieved dawned upon her. "When I freed myself from that, and realised it’s actually incredible and I should be proud of what I achieved at 14 and 15, it gave me the freedom to enjoy the sport and just play."

While it has not been the smoothest or shortest of journeys, the award at the end is that extra bit special. "It’s been an incredibly long journey, especially with the path I took. I grew up being coached by my mum. It’s never easy to step out of that relationship, especially when she’s the closest person in my life. I still call her whenever I need support or just want to talk."

"I actually had a short training camp with her before the clay season, so I should thank her for all the wins I’ve had in the past month. I know there are many difficult stories when parents coach their kids, but I’m happy I came out on the other side as a better person and a better player."

The journey does not stop here, with there much more to achieve in tennis. "It took a lot of struggle and difficult moments. But for me, almost nothing changes," she acknowledged. "I’m a Masters champion now, but I just want to keep doing the same thing—keep working and keep enjoying the journey. It’s about the journey, not the destination."

While she did come into this tournament after winning the title in Rouen, expectations were not high. A quarterfinal last year was an anomaly from prior dreadful showings in the Spanish capital but it has reversed in her favour, with Kostyuk finally taming the clay courts of Caja Magica.

"I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know," she stated when asked if there was anything different in her game. "When Sandra told me today that when we first came here two years ago I lost in the first round, she said she didn’t understand why I didn’t like playing here because the conditions suit my game really well. I never saw it that way."

While her travelling to the tournament earlier in 2025 did benefit her, Kostyuk could still not put her finger on it. "Last year I got injured before Stuttgart and couldn’t defend my final, so I came here earlier, still a bit injured in my abs. I think that gave me a different perspective—on the game and on what I should do here. It worked out really well. I had an unbelievable quarter-final last year, and this year it was even better. But yeah, I don’t have an exact answer."

The subsequent effect of this title is the 1000 points that have been added to her overall total. The 23-year-old has climbed to a new career high of world number 15, with the top 10 beckoning. However, this pales in significance to anything else.

"I don’t focus on rankings," she said. "I would be very happy if I finished the clay season in the top 20, but I didn’t think about a specific number. I just wanted to be as consistent as possible. Ranking is just a consequence of what you do on the court. Nothing really changes—maybe I’ll get slightly better draws—but all players are strong. So I just want to keep working and enjoying."

Kostyuk is 11 matches unbeaten on clay. With tournaments coming up in Rome, Strasbourg and the big one at Roland Garros, a lot of tennis is still to play before tennis makes the transition to grass. The French Open will be an obvious target for Kostyuk to continue her imperious form on court, but she is not thinking of that as of yet.

"Roland-Garros is in three weeks, and I haven’t thought about it yet. There’s still Rome, Strasbourg—there’s a lot of work ahead," she said.

"I played really badly in Paris last year. It was a terrible match and one of the most difficult losses of my career. I had a good run in Madrid and Rome, and maybe I had too high expectations—I don’t know. I’ve never really played well in Paris, so I’m going back to basics. What made me win this week was enjoying myself and being open to suffering and to different challenges along the way. Roland-Garros is still far away. I just hope to stay healthy—that’s what matters."

When photos were taken with Kostyuk and the trophy, a pair of boxer shorts were among the easter eggs which could be spotted. Kostyuk unveiled the story behind them.

"So we have tournament laundry, and sometimes things get mixed up—we get someone else’s socks or whatever. Something always happens. Last year we got these shorts and it said 'lucky shorts' on them. Sandra [Zaniewska] said, 'I’m not giving them away,' so she kept them. When I was winning last year, she would bring them out—it became our lucky charm.

"This year she didn’t travel with them at first, but before coming here she went to her dad’s house to pick them up and bring them to Madrid. Then we made a joke—if I win, we have to take a picture with the shorts everywhere. I even told my husband he should wear them over his pants in the photo, but he didn’t do it… so it’s okay."

Sitting by her side was the trophy that he had lofted high into the air after winning the title, and even doing some gymnastics on court, a prior hobby in her past. A reporter asked Kostyuk what the trophy tasted like.

She responded to the bizarre question: "Like champagne, for sure—that was the first thing I tasted after I won," she exclaimed. "Honestly, watching this tournament as a kid—even remembering the blue clay year—was mind-blowing. Seeing all the players who’ve won here before, I would never have thought this could be possible. It’s one of the strongest tournaments of the year, and everyone plays incredibly well. So yes, it tastes very good—but I just want to enjoy today."