Marta Kostyuk completed her incredible, unlikely story yesterday, concluding her magical Madrid Open run by claiming the title.
At the start of the event, few would have even considered her as an option to go deep, let alone all the way.
Alas, she has proved so many people wrong, and will now head to Rome and Paris as a genuine threat to anyone she faces.
Speaking in her post-match press conference after lifting the trophy, one reporter was keen to discuss how she will deal with this new pressure.
Marta Kostyuk’s response was an intriguing one.
Marta Kostyuk previews her chances at Roland Garros
The Ukrainian began by explaining how the closeness of Roland Garros will help her in this situation, as she will not even have enough time to stop and contemplate what she has just achieved.
Kostyuk claimed: “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.”
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Fortunately, her underperformance last year does relieve some of the pressure, as she added: “I played really bad in Paris last year. I had [an] absolutely terrible match, and I was really depressed over that for some time.
“I had a good run in Madrid and Rome, and then I probably had high expectations for myself, I don’t know, but it was probably one of the most difficult losses in my career.
“I also never really play good in Paris, so, you know, I’m coming back to the basics and what made me win here this week. I want to enjoy and be open to, you know, suffering opportunities and different challenges that I will face on the way.
“But, yeah, Roland Garros is still super far, so I don’t know. I hope to be healthy, and that’s all that matters.”
Kostyuk explained how she targeted a Mirra Andreeva weakness in the final, with this killer instinct proving pivotal. If she is to maintain her current form, such ruthlessness will be paramount.
Marta Kostyuk remains unbeaten on clay in 2026
Kostyuk has undeniably been one of the stars of the clay season so far, having remained undefeated throughout the two events she has played thus far.
As such, the 23-year-old claimed the titles at both events, first in Rouen before enjoying the best run of her career to date, most recently in Madrid.
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Her win streak on this surface has therefore been extended to 11 matches, just one fewer than Andreva, who has played one extra tournament than her on the dirt.
What Kostyuk has achieved over the last month is astounding, and it will be really interesting to see how she deals with this newfound pressure.
After all, despite her attempts to underplay the coming weeks, there will undoubtedly be new eyes on her, and therefore, far greater scrutiny.
