Kostyuk explores her limits at Wimbledon: "I never thought I would come this far here"

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Marta Kostyuk continues to break barriers in 2026. The Ukrainian has qualified for the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time after convincingly winning her third-round match, confirming the great form she is in this season.

After years of struggling on grass, the Ukrainian number one has finally found a way to compete on a surface that had always raised doubts for her. Now, in the next round, she will face American Ashlyn Krueger with the aim of continuing to make history in London.

The qualification carries special meaning for Kostyuk. Wimbledon was probably the Grand Slam where she had felt least comfortable throughout her career. She had never gone beyond the third round and arrived at the tournament with low expectations after a week of training where she struggled to find good sensations. However, match after match, she gained confidence until achieving the best result of her career at the All England Club. The player herself acknowledges that the change has been more mental than technical.

No pressure makes everything easier

"I had no expectations, honestly. And I still don't, I think that helps. The higher you are in the rankings, the more people expect from you. It seems like you always have to feel good, never tired or injured, and always perform at your best. Having no expectations makes things easier."

Grass, from enemy to ally

"For many years, I played horribly on grass, I couldn't find my game on this surface, not even in WTA 250 or WTA 500 tournaments. I had a very complicated relationship with grass and also with Wimbledon. Just a few weeks ago, I was training with Jessica Pegula, losing practically every practice set. I was losing to everyone. I asked Sandra if she really thought that grass suited my game. She replied: 'One hundred percent'. I tried to hold onto that and take it match by match, I think that's why I never thought I would reach the round of 16 here."

Marta Kostyuk and the mindset change to improve on grass

"The biggest difference is that I try not to focus on the result, I want to enjoy it 100%. You can win everything and a month later, people have already forgotten about you. You can't link your self-worth to how you play tennis because all of that disappears someday. Even the greatest legends stop being in the spotlight over time. Right now, I don't know exactly when it clicked, I just started to be kinder to myself and give myself permission to try. In the beginning, I was desperate because I felt like no matter what I did, I was going to fail. When I gave myself that space and freedom to even accept mistakes, everything started to work."

Excited to keep growing

"I've had three really good matches, and I feel great now. I've also played doubles, which helps accumulate hours on grass. I take it day by day; the most important thing is that now I look forward to playing on this surface again next year because I feel like I finally understand how to do it."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kostyuk explora sus límites en Wimbledon: "Nunca pensé que llegaría tan lejos aquí"