Fans Slam ‘Narcissist’ Marta Kostyuk for Not Mentioning Mirra Andreeva During Madrid Open Winner’s Speech – “She’s So Arrogant”

Marta Kostyuk lifted her career's first WTA 1000 title and will reach her career-best No.15 in the rankings table.

Fans Slam ‘Narcissist’ Marta Kostyuk for Not Mentioning Mirra Andreeva During Madrid Open Winner’s Speech – “She’s So Arrogant”

Marta Kostyuk, Mirra Andreeva (Image via thScore, Punto de Break)

In Short
  • Marta Kostyuk won her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open, defeating Mirra Andreeva.
  • Fans criticized Kostyuk for not acknowledging Andreeva during her winner's speech.
  • Kostyuk has now improved her head-to-head record against Andreeva to 2-0.

On Saturday (May 2), Marta Kostyuk registered a 6-3, 7-5 win in 1 hour and 21 minutes over Mirra Andreeva in the Madrid Open final, becoming a WTA 1000 champion for the first time in her career. She is also the first Ukrainian to win the title in the Spanish capital.

Kostyuk, in process, won her career’s first singles title above a WTA 250 level. Before arriving in Madrid, the 23-year-old clinched the WTA 250 title in Rouen after defeating countrywoman Veronika Podrez.

Kostyuk, who is now on an 11-match winning streak on clay, reached her career-best No.15 in the live rankings table. She has also become the seventh player born in the 2000s to lift WTA 1000 singles titles, following Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Victoria Mboko, and Bianca Andreescu.

It feels unbelievable to stand here right now. It took me many years to reach this point. 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 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.

Marta Kostyuk said during her winner’s speech

The win helped Kostyuk improve her head-to-head record over Andreeva to 2-0. Before this match, they met in this year’s Brisbane International quarterfinal.

I wanna thank all my opponents that I played this week. Girls pushed me to the limit. One of the most unbelievable matches for me these weeks…very special two weeks here. If you look at the stats up until last year, I think I was like 2-7 in Madrid. I never thought I’d be able to lift the title here. It was not my favorite tournament for sure, but thank you to the crowd. It was unbelievable this week. You were supporting me so much every day.

Marta Kostyuk added

For Kostyuk, it was her second title in her third final of the season. Before her wins in Rouen and Madrid, she lost to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final.

Fans want Marta Kostyuk to acknowledge her opponents

When Marta Kostyuk lost to Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final, she did not acknowledge the four-time Major singles champion during her runner-up speech. She chose not to pose for photos before and after her match with Sabalenka.

Marta Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk (Image via X/Bastien Fachan)

She did not shake hands with Russian-born Anastasia Potapova after defeating the Austrian in the semifinals of the Madrid Open and had said at the press conference before the match that Australia’s Daria Kasatkina is the only Russian-born player with whom she will be shaking hands. Kostyuk did not shake hands with Russia’s Andreeva as well.

But what irked the fans online was Kostyuk not mentioning Andreeva during the winner’s speech. They said Kostyuk needs to understand that the Russian and Belarusian players are not responsible for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Check their reactions here:

Andreeva was chasing her third WTA 1000 title after wins at the Dubai Tennis Championships (beat Clara Tauson) and Indian Wells (beat Aryna Sabalenka) last year. The 19-year-old has become the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 singles finals.

Andreeva was chasing her third title of the season. After her victory over Victoria Mboko in the Adelaide International final, she beat Potapova in the Linz Open final. Both players will next be competing at the Italian Open. Kostyuk has never played in the quarterfinals, while Andreeva is a one-time quarterfinalist of the tournament.

Also read: Jannik Sinner Downplays Comparison with Carlos Alcaraz on Clay After Securing Madrid Final Slot