Marta Kostyuk exclusive – Why I hit a wall in 2025 and what comes next
She looks set to finish the year inside the top 30 of the WTA Rankings, but Marta Kostyuk wants so much more than just a presence on the top table of women’s tennis.
The Ukrainian star has been a trailblazer for the women’s game in her war-torn country, with the joy she is giving to people back home a facet of her story that cannot be underestimated in what are troubled times for her nation.
As she sat down for an exclusive interview with Tennis365 at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open in China, Kostyuk admitted she feels a little flat with her achievements in 2025.
After finishing last year inside the top 20 of the rankings, she is currently at No 28 in the WTA list and concedes she was hoping for more.
“This is my last event of the year and you start to think about all the things that you have done and whether you could have gone better,” Kostyuk told Tennis365.
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“This year I had a lot of developments outside of the court with the way I do things and the way I approach life, but I just feel I was hitting the wall many, many times this year.
“I lost a lot of matches to top ten players, especially in the Grand Slam tournaments. I was going far in every one and I just couldn’t get over the line against these big players.
“Most of the time, I was really close and I just feel like as the year come to an end, it has just been frustrating.
“You know, I’ve had a really consistent year and that is a good sign, but in general, I feel like I missed the last two steps to overcome come these players.
“You need to show patience and hope that it will come back on your side eventually and I think it is going to happen.
“So there is a lot of positive from this year, but I had some difficulties with injuries and somehow I found a way to come through and play.
“Generally it was a good year, but somehow I ended up where I am and it was not good enough for me, for sure.”
Kostyuk has set her targets high for 2026, with the Grand Slam title she has already dreamed about the ultimate goal.
“The target will always been in the Grand Slams,” she added. “That has been my target for some time and I still want to find the consistency and try to end the year in the top ten.
“I don’t like to set rankings goals as that is just the outcome of your work. I just need to try and make the improvements I need next year to try and go to the next level.”
Our full extended interview with Marta Kostyuk in Wuhan will appear on Tennis365 in the coming days.
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