After winning the biggest title of her career, Marta Kostyuk didn’t hesitate. She walked out on court and leaped into a back handspring. She landed upright, on her feet, and smiled.
The feat was, of course, impressive, but what was even more monumental was the mentality Kostyuk did it with–the mentality she had for the entire tournament. The confidence that propelled Kostyuk’s post-match gymnastics carried her through the two weeks of the 2026 Madrid Open.
That isn’t something she’s always had, and in fact a lack of it has contributed to many of her toughest losses. Kostyuk has found her best tennis this season, and now she’s winning the points that play out before she even steps up to the line.
Marta Kostyuk is all confidence
Shaking Off Clay Season Ghosts
Last year, Kostyuk had a good clay season. It could have been a great one.
In both Madrid and Rome, Kostyuk played close matches against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Both matches ended in straight sets, but in three of the four sets played Kostyuk had at least one set point.
Kostyuk had chances to take a set–and potentially, a match–against a top-ranked opponent. And while closing out sets against Sabalenka is no easy feat, it wasn’t just Sabalenka’s level that stopped Kostyuk. Kostyuk’s inability to move on from those lost set points played a major factor in her ultimately losing those sets. She didn’t necessarily need to close it out on her first try; she just needed to believe she could get there again.
Chasing A Goal
At the start of the season, Kostyuk set a goal for herself: finish 2026 in the top-10.
According to Kostyuk, she had never set such a clear standard for herself before. In her mind, it’s important to not focus too much on the rankings, but she wanted a direction, something to ground her as she made her way through the season.
It served to be more than that, though. Setting that goal for the first time showed a belief in herself that she hadn’t always showcased in the past. And, as she’s climbed the rankings this year, that belief has paid off.
She opened the season with a run to the final of Brisbane, where she once again lost to Sabalenka. It was a hugely positive showing, though, as Kostyuk defeated three tTp 10 players en route to the final.
After being sidelined by an injury picked up at the Australian Open, Kostyuk rounded back into form for clay season, winning Rouen as the top seed. Entering Madrid, she was in red-hot form.
Breakthrough in Madrid
At the first WTA 1000 on clay, Kostyuk hit the ground running and didn’t look back.
She notched four straight-set wins en route to the semifinals, including a dominant upset win over fifth seed Jessica Pegula.
In Kostyuk’s semifinal match, she looked poised to continue her form as she won the first set, 6-2. But her opponent, Anastasia Potapova, fought back and put a 6-1 set on the board, taking the match to a decider. The Kostyuk of years prior may have crumbled–but not here. She erased the disappointment of the second set and won the third, 6-1, to advance to the final.
Up against Mirra Andreeva in the final, Kostyuk put on a clinical serving performance in the first set, consolidating her break and staving off break points while serving for the set. When Kostyuk went up an immediate break in the second, the match was fully on her racket.
Andreeva broke back, though, and the second set got complicated as Andreeva later turned the tables and went up a break. But Kostyuk weathered the storm, getting the match back on serve.
As Kostyuk was serving down 5-4, Andreeva struck again with break set points. And Kostyuk calmly stepped up to the line and erased them with strong, well-placed serves. Kostyuk didn’t drop a game from there.
Whether it was collapsing onto the ground after converting her championship point or landing on her feet after the back handspring, Marta Kostyuk’s clear-minded perseverance shined through in every moment.
CUE THE BACKFLIP 🤩@marta_kostyuk races to her FIRST career WTA 1000 title with a straight sets win over Andreeva!#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/sRIJwo8u9M
— wta (@WTA) May 2, 2026
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
