Tennis drama unfolds: why did Marta Kostyuk withdraw from her exhibition match? Fresh details confirmed
WTA
After Marta Kostyuk received heavy criticism for withdrawing from her exhibition match with Mirra Andreeva leaving the latter in an ordeal where she had to play a Battle of the Sexes, fresh details have since emerged clearing up why this was the case.
The Ukrainian was set to face Andreeva at the Open de Tennis de Bourg-de-Péage after being brought in to replace Donna Vekic who withdrew last minute and originally was set to face the winner of Andreeva v Gracheva. A male player then had to be brought in last minute and Andreeva lost in straight sets.
Threats aimed at Kostyuk not to face Andreeva
Kostyuk's decision not to play saw her berated on social media and raised questions. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, her and compatriots have decided not to shake hands at the end of the match and has seen Kostyuk for instance booed at Roland Garros.
However facing a Russian seemingly wasn't an issue according to Journalist and treasurer of the exhibition, Xavier Coffin who aimed to clear various aspects up on Monday afternoon including that Kostyuk had received threats from back home and on social media not to play the match.
“Saturday evening: Mirra Andreeva beats Varvara Gracheva and advances to the final. From then on, the news spread in Ukraine. Marta then suffered enormous pressure on the networks,” Coffin wrote on social media platform X.
“Sunday morning: Marta arrives in Bourg-de-Péage. She had to play with some kids from the club in the morning before the afternoon game. She keeps her word and tells us “THE” news. Following the threats received on the networks, she does not feel like playing.’
“Obviously, we are disappointed because we know that 3 hours before the start of the match, it will be very complicated to replace her (Gracheva having already taken her train). We activate our networks to find a player but it is far too complicated in such a short time.”
This was a decision also accepted by the tournament despite them being put into a bit of a predicament by the news. "To make things clear, we hold no grudge against Marta and will be happy to invite her back in the future!" they wrote with Kostyuk still honouring commitments outside of the match.
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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