"People who never experienced war in their home can never fully comprehend what it is" - Marta Kostyuk on 'balancing' tennis career with ongoing Ukraine war

Marta Kostyuk is a very prominent player on the WTA Tour. She has recently made headlines for her talent on court, having a marvellous clay swing which saw her win two titles and reach a Grand Slam semi-final. Away from the court, her outspoken nature has seen her hit the headlines while discussing the ongoing Ukraine war. She has since tried to balance both this with her tennis career while not letting it get in the way of her tennis career.

The Ukrainian lost just one match on clay in 2026, She won the Rouen Open title before breaking new ground with a first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open. She would then go on a run to the semi-finals of Roland Garros where Mirra Andreeva would get revenge enroute to becoming a Grand Slam champion.

All of this was also delicately balanced alongside the ongoing troubles and concerns with her country at war. In her first match, she was an emotional figure after a missile landed very close to her parents house in Ukraine. This among other thoughts in her head are regular for her, swirling around her head as she tries to continue raise awareness but also focus on herself more, putting these thoughts to the back of her head. Speaking to Clay Tennis, she opened up on how she was going to do this.

This is not new for Kostyuk. She has normally stood up for her country even before becoming a professional tennis player with a platform to share her thoughts from. "I think I felt that responsibility from 2014 when we had this big revolution in Kyiv," she recalled. "I was attending it almost weekly and loved volunteering there and just to be part of the people wanting a change.

"My family is very nationalistic, I would say, in the best possible way. I felt like I’ve had that responsibility since 2014. Obviously, when it turned into a full-scale war in 2022, it was a bit different because I was older and felt I had more responsibility. Moving forward, with each year, I change, I grow up, things change and the war is still happening."

This feeling is still very much there as she looks to continue speaking up for her country, raising awareness for her people. "The responsibility didn’t go away. I’m focusing on what messages I want to bring out there, what I want to talk about, and share the pain of people, my pain. People who never experienced war in their home can never fully comprehend what it is. I’m doing my best to bring awareness and explain that what’s going on is not normal and should never happen again."

It has affected her as a tennis player and a person. "I definitely changed. Stressful moments and crises in life trigger things inside of you. There is a lot of room to improve as a human being — your reactions, your mood, your stress handling. I took it as an opportunity to learn how to navigate difficult situations and learn more about myself. But great suffering comes with it."

Trying to live with these thoughts was very tricky for her, unearthing a number of emotions. "My goal is to have as much balance as I can. At one point I was focusing so much on the war that I felt if I wasn’t reading the news or feeling anxious, I was somehow betraying my family or the people who were there. But it interfered with my daily life so much. I had to tell myself: I am here right now. I am not in danger. I can make clear decisions. Last year I decided to stop having news notifications on my phone. That was part of stress management. You cannot expose yourself to that all the time when you are not in it."

The concerns will always be there with conflict in her country, but she feels like it is working that she can focus on other topics. "I think it’s a good challenge for me. I don’t mind having that responsibility. Of course, at times it’s difficult raising your voice while carrying such a huge topic on your back. But it has also taught me a lot about myself. Every stressful situation reveals something about who you are and how you react. I’ve tried to use that as a way to grow."

Tennis can be a very lonely sport for many. With the long hours travelling, practicing and competing all around the world, there are times that they are by themselves with little company. Kostyuk was aware that this would be a factor, knowing this was something that would come through being a professional tennis player.

"Generally, the tour is pretty lonely," she admitted. "The most lonely I feel is usually during the Asian swing because everyone is so tired. I never go to Asia with my husband or with my dogs, so I’m really alone there. But I think it’s a problem of the sport itself. It’s not personal. It’s just the nature of tennis."

Nevertheless, she does have friends on tour, opting for long term flourishing relationships that can continue to grow and be prominent. "I don’t like changing friends too often. I really like steady, long and healthy relationships with people. Of course, people evolve and sometimes relationships change, but I value consistency."

One person she noted was Eva Lys. The popular German is regularly pictured hanging out with many tennis players, but her and Kostyuk share a special bond. "With Eva Lys, there is a level of honesty that is rare," she said. "Me and Eva are very close. I can tell her anything and she can tell me anything. I remember she once told me: ‘I’m jealous that you got that contract because I wanted it too, but I’m happy for you.’ That honesty is very important. A lot of people say bad things about each other behind their backs and then smile in your face. Being open about difficult feelings helps to deal with them better. It allows friendships to survive challenges."

What also comes with being a professional tennis player is countless hours of travelling. This involves regularly being at airports as they traverse around the world to compete for the biggest titles. Kostyuk has again acknowledged that this is just part of the process while managing to see the funny side in it.

"My husband was joking recently that the whole planet is our home," she stated. "You try to create home wherever you are. Maybe it’s a little corner next to your bed, maybe it’s routines and rituals that stay the same."

Going around the world with her husband and dogs is something that she cherishes. "Traveling with her husband and their dogs makes a significant difference. I’m very lucky that I travel with my husband and my dogs because they bring that feeling of being in a safe place. Of course, sometimes we want our own bed, our own kitchen, our own routines. I want to cook my food my way. I want to go for a walk where we always go. But you learn to adapt."