Marta Kostyuk to Miss WTA 500 Event in London
Ukraine's second-ranked player, Marta Kostyuk, has withdrawn from the WTA 500 tournament in London due to a right ankle injury. Her spot in the main draw will be taken by Croatian Donna Vekić, who enters as a lucky loser. Kostyuk was scheduled to begin her grass-court season with a first-round match against 17-year-old British player Mika Stojsavljevic.
Kostyuk's Clay-Court Success
The Ukrainian recently concluded an impressive 17-match winning streak on clay, which ended in the semifinals of Roland Garros, where she lost in straight sets to Russian Mirra Andreeva. Andreeva went on to become the Roland Garros champion. This run marked the biggest achievement of Kostyuk's tennis career, as she had never before advanced to the semifinals of a major tournament.
Despite missing the London event, Kostyuk has climbed to No. 12 in the WTA rankings. Later this June, she plans to compete at Wimbledon, where she will enter the main draw for the sixth time. Her best result at Wimbledon came in 2023 and 2024, when she reached the third round. Notably, last year she exited the tournament in the first round.
“Yes, I’m back playing, but my serve wasn’t working properly today. I think I was rushing a lot. There was a bit more chaos in my game than usual. I didn’t think too much about it. I just tried to play point by point,” said Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk's absence from the London tournament underscores the significance of her injury, especially after her outstanding clay-court performances. Her rise in the rankings highlights her growing potential in world tennis. Wimbledon will be a key milestone in her career, and her participation there could be decisive for her future development. We will see how she handles the challenges ahead.
Marta Kostyuk's recent performances have drawn significant attention, particularly her remarkable run at the French Open. As she prepares for Wimbledon, her journey through the tournament's history could be pivotal. To learn more about her groundbreaking achievement in the semifinals at Roland Garros, where she stood on the brink of making history for Ukrainian tennis, read our detailed coverage here.