Marta Kostyuk’s hopes of capturing a second consecutive WTA 1000 title have been ended.
The Ukrainian recently won the biggest title of her career to date after beating Mirra Andreeva in the Madrid Open final.
Kostyuk posted an emotional Instagram message after securing the title, describing her achievement as a ‘dream come true.’
Is Marta Kostyuk a dark horse to win the French Open?
She's just won the Madrid Open!
However, the 23-year-old has now been forced to withdraw from her very next event.
Kostyuk – who rose to world number 15 with victory in Madrid – will not be competing in the Italian Open.
Marta Kostyuk says withdrawing from the Italian Open ‘hurts’
“This one hurts,” the Ukrainian began in a post on Instagram.
“After the best stretch of my career, I was looking forward to Rome. But sometimes your body has other plans, and over the past few days I’ve been dealing with a hip issue.
“With my ankle still not fully at 100 per cent, it’s just not smart to keep pushing right now, so I won’t be competing there this year.
“That’s what makes it even harder, because it’s such a special place for me. The fans, the atmosphere, and yes… the food. I’ve had some amazing moments here, and I always love coming back.
“I’m sad to miss it, but I’ll see you next year. Now it’s time to recover and get ready for Paris.
“Thank you for all the love.”
Kostyuk’s statement seems to imply her next focus is on Roland Garros, despite mentioning the Strasbourg Open during her final press conference in Madrid.
After beating Andreeva in the Spanish capital, Kostyuk said: “You know Roland Garros is in three weeks, and I didn’t give it one thought yet. Because, you know, there is still Rome, there is Strasbourg, there is a lot of just days of work.
The Strasbourg Open will run from May 17 to 23. The French Open will take place from May 24 to June 7.
Who do you think will win the women’s Italian Open this year? 🏆
How will Kostyuk’s ranking be affected?
Last year, Marta Kostyuk reached the Italian Open fourth round after beating Alexandra Eala, Daria Kasatkina and Leylah Fernandez.
In the last 16, Kostyuk was defeated 1-6, 6-7 by top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Consequently, the 23-year-old was defending 215 WTA ranking points at this year’s event.
With those points subtracted from her total, Kostyuk remains above Naomi Osaka in the WTA rankings.
Of course, the Ukrainian’s ranking may decrease, should her rivals perform well in the Italian capital.
