Kostyuk: "Some female player has higher levels of testosterone, this helps"

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That Marta Kostyuk has been on vacation for a few days is not news that makes her happy. It means that her 2025 season has ended, and once again, the goal of reaching the top 10 remained elusive. What has the Ukrainian been lacking?

Part of this issue is addressed in the interview conducted by colleagues from Tennis 365, always active in bringing stories of these players who have not yet made it to the top ranks. Currently occupying the #27 spot in the WTA rankings, having been #16 last season, we can say that Marta Kostyuk is not far from achieving this goal, although there are still several aspects she needs to work on if she wants to compete with Sabalenka or Swiatek. With a 28-21 record in the 2025 season, it was clear that the Ukrainian couldn't be entirely satisfied with her performance.

“I'm not entirely satisfied; we'll see what position I end up in at the end of the season. Right now, I'm at that moment of looking back and seeing all the things I've done, especially what I could have done better. This season, I had many off-court improvements, improvements related to my way of living life, and I'll hold onto that. It's clear that I draw many positives from this calendar, but I also carry some issues of injuries and tough losses in close matches,” said the woman who ended her season with a first-round defeat in Wuhan.

“This year, I've hit a wall many times, letting slip several matches against top-10 players. In many matches, I was close, but I couldn't cross that line. I finish the year with many frustrations; I need to take those final steps to overcome this, so I have to believe in what I do for it to happen,” says the Kiev native. “In 2025, I felt that I still had those obstacles, although I also wasn't lucky with the draws, which is why I ended up in this place. It's been a decent year, but not enough for me,” notes Marta, always very self-critical.

Swiatek and Sabalenka, two impenetrable walls

Where perhaps she hasn't been as self-critical is when they mentioned Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the two great dominators of the circuit. She has a 4-0 head-to-head record against the Pole, the same as against the Belarusian. There's something about these two women that she can't handle, although we can confirm that this happens to most players on the circuit. According to the Ukrainian, there is a factor in certain top-10 players that she can't combat. A genetic factor that makes her come out defeated every time she tries.

“Each player has their biological structure, and in this case, some have higher levels of testosterone and some lower. It's a natural thing that definitely helps them. In my case, I feel smaller than them, so I try to see how I can defeat these players with the skills I have. I have no choice but to work harder to win points; I have to run much more than them to win every ball,” concludes the Ukrainian, leaving an open question that we'll see how it unfolds.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kostyuk: “Alguna jugadora tiene niveles más altos de testosterona, esto ayuda”