Kostyuk: "I want to keep doing the same: work and enjoy the process, this is about the journey, not the destination"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 2 May 2026 | 21.00

Kostyuk: "I want to keep doing the same: work and enjoy the process, this is about the journey, not the destination". Photo: Gettyimages.

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Marta Kostyuk is already a champion. The Ukrainian secures her first WTA 1000 title after defeating Mirra Andreeva in the Mutua Madrid Open final with a score of 6-3, 7-5. The 23-year-old tennis player arrived in Spain in good form after winning the title in Rouen two weeks ago, which boosts her to her highest WTA ranking position: 15th.

Nevertheless, Kostyuk prefers to remain cautious and does not want to talk about potential aspirations in Roland Garros yet. In fact, in the press conference following her victory, the Ukrainian talked about all the pressure she faced as a teenager, being hailed as the future of tennis. She also took the opportunity to reflect on her relationship with her mother, who was her first and only coach for a long time.

Marta Kostyuk finally enjoyed the Mutua Madrid Open, where she lifted the champion's trophy

"Winning here is incredible. I had always had a very poor record at this tournament until last year, so it's very exciting. I wanted to enjoy this match to the fullest, regardless of the result. That was the goal I achieved, and winning is just a bonus."

She revealed the keys to her victory over Andreeva

"I wanted to start the match by putting pressure on her. Today I served very well. In the second set, she played three games at a very high level. I just wanted to keep doing the same, and it worked. Both sets were very close. I faced break points when serving to close out the set, then she had two set points. It could have gone either way, but I'm very happy to have closed it out in two sets."

After many years, she relieved herself from the pressure of her past successes

"At the beginning of this year, I told my team that I finally felt that the achievements I had at 14 and 15 no longer weighed on me. For a long time, I lived with everyone's expectations, as if those early results had almost been a burden. When I freed myself from that, everything changed. I'm very proud of what I accomplished as a young player, but now I can enjoy tennis."

She describes the challenge of having a mother as a coach, but she has no regrets

"It's been a long journey, especially because I grew up training with my mother. It's not easy to transition out of that professional relationship with the person who is also closest to you in life. Even today, I call her when I need support. In fact, I had a short training session with her before the clay court season, so I owe a lot of these results to her."

"There are many complicated stories when parents coach their children, but I emerged stronger, as a better person and a better player. There have been very tough moments. For me, right now, it doesn't change much. I'm a Masters champion, but I want to keep doing the same: work and enjoy the process. It's about the journey, not the destination."

After poor results in her early years, she has grown fond of the Caja Mágica

"The first year I lost in the opening round and couldn't understand why I didn't feel comfortable here, as the conditions suit my game well. Last year I arrived with physical issues, which gave me a different perspective. Perhaps being injured made me focus more on what I needed to do, and it worked. I had an incredible quarterfinal match, and this year has been even better."

She achieves her best position in the WTA rankings: 15th

"I don't focus on the ranking. It would have made me happy to finish the clay court season in the top 20, but I don't dwell on specific numbers. The ranking is a consequence of what you do on the court. Maybe I have better draws now, but all the players are very strong. I want to keep working and enjoying."

She doesn't want to hear anything about Roland Garros yet

"Roland Garros is in three weeks, and I haven't thought about it yet. Before that, there are Rome, Strasbourg, and many days of work. Last year I played very poorly in Paris; it was a tough defeat for me. I came from good results in Madrid and Rome and maybe had too many expectations. I've never particularly excelled there. I want to go back to basics, to what helped me win here. Enjoy and embrace challenges. Roland Garros is still far away. I hope to be healthy, that's what matters most," says Marta Kostyuk, who clinches the Mutua Madrid Open title and establishes herself as a player to watch for the remainder of the clay court season.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kostyuk: "Quiero seguir haciendo lo mismo: trabajar y disfrutar del proceso, esto va del camino, no del destino"