Marta Kostyuk explains why she never thought she would win the Madrid Open after beating Mirra Andreeva

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Marta Kostyuk defeated Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 7-5, in the Madrid Open final.

The Ukrainian delivered one of the finest performances of her career to defeat Andreeva, a two-time WTA 1000 champion, in straight sets.

Is Marta Kostyuk a dark horse to win the French Open?

She's just won the Madrid Open!

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Kostyuk was far from the favourite, entering this year’s Madrid Open as the 26th seed.

During her post-match speech, Kostyuk shared why she didn’t think she would ever win the title in Madrid.

Marta Kostyuk never thought she would win the Madrid Open due to her poor record at the event

“If you look at the stats, up until last year, I think I was like 2-7 in Madrid,” said Kostyuk.

“So I never thought I would be able to lift the title here!

“It was not my favourite tournament for sure…”

Kostyuk struggled in Madrid before 2025, when she reached the quarter-finals.

Making another step forward in 2026, the Madrid Open is now Kostyuk’s most successful WTA 1000 event.

Marta Kostyuk’s WTA 1000 record

The 23-year-old was also quick to thank her team in her post-match speech.

“It feels unbelievable to stand here right now,” said Kostyuk.

“It took me many years to reach this point, and one word I think about right now is consistency.

“It’s showing up every day, no matter how hard it is, no matter how much you love or hate what you do.

“I’ve been doing that really well the past few years, I think, so I’m very proud of myself and my team.

“Thank you guys so much for being there for me.

“I think only we know how much we went through and how many times I wanted to give up, but you kept me afloat, you pushed me to keep going, so that’s why I’m here today.

“Thank you, Sandra [Zaniewska], thank you, Claudio [Zimaglia], thank you, my love, my husband, thank you, Chris, for coming, thank you, guys.”

Kostyuk also thanked her opponents and the tournament staff.

“I want to thank all my opponents I played this week, I mean, girls pushed me to the limit, some of the most unbelievable matches this week, and two special weeks,” she said.

“Thank you, the crowd was unbelievable this week, you were supporting me so much, every day, it wouldn’t be possible without you.

“I want to thank everyone who made this tournament possible, Mutua, Feliciano [Lopez], Garbine [Muguruza], thank you guys so much!

“The physios, the ball kids, everyone who really, really put this tournament [together], it’s an incredible job, and thank you again.

“Last but not least, glory to god, and glory to Ukraine.”

Can Marta Kostyuk now challenge for the French Open?

Kostyuk will want to take some time to celebrate this win, but it won’t be long before her attention turns to Roland Garros.

The 2026 Madrid Open champion is unbeaten on clay this year, and could well be one to keep an eye on in the French capital.

Marta Kostyuk’s record on clay (2026) 11-0

• Open de Rouen 1R [WIN] vs Diane Parry, 6-1, 6-4
• Open de Rouen 2R [WIN] vs Caty McNally, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
• Open de Rouen QF [WIN] vs Ann Li, 6-0, 6-7, 6-3
• Open de Rouen SF [WIN] vs Tatjana Maria, 6-3, 6-0
• Open de Rouen F [WIN] vs Veronika Podrez, 6-3, 6-4
• Madrid Open 2R [WIN] vs Yulia Putintseva, 6-1, 6-3
• Madrid Open 3R [WIN] vs Jessica Pegula, 6-1, 6-4
• Madrid Open 4R [WIN] vs Caty McNally, 6-2, 6-3
• Madrid Open QF [WIN] vs Linda Noskova, 7-6, 6-0
• Madrid Open SF [WIN] vs Anastasia Potapova, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
• Madrid Open F [WIN] vs Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 7-5

If Kostyuk plays as well as she has so far on clay in 2026, there is every chance she becomes the first Ukrainian player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Only time will tell what the future holds for Kostyuk, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Assuming she doesn’t withdraw from the event, Kostyuk will be back in action next week, at the Italian Open.