Marta Kostyuk Bashes the Media for Misquoting her “Testosterone” Comments About Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek

Tennis365 acknowledged the mistake of misquoting Marta Kostyuk's comments.

Marta Kostyuk Bashes the Media for Misquoting her “Testosterone” Comments About Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek

Marta Kostyuk and (inset) Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (via Punto de Break)

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After steamrolling Jessica Pegula 6-0, 6-3 at the Brisbane International to book a spot in the final, Marta Kostyuk got dragged right back into the mess from late 2025. It was the one where her words were framed like a pointed accusation about “testosterone levels” and intimidation.

In Brisbane, when she was asked about the whole thing again, Kostyuk didn’t play defense with PR fluff. She sounded like someone who’s still annoyed that a normal conversation got turned into a viral bonfire.

Fresh off that Pegula demolition, Kostyuk addressed how it felt to see her comments reshaped into something louder, uglier, and way less accurate. Then she landed the punchline: it wasn’t her responsibility that an outlet published it in that way, and even if people insist on reading it however they want, she’s done carrying it. Kostyuk said in her post-match press conference:

I think it never happened to me before that I was misquoted, especially this much, especially talking about, you know, a different topic. I would say. For me, it was a little bit sad, because I felt like if you start talking about things more deep, people just get scared or just get offended, or you know, stressed about it. Like, in this case was about journalist that, you know, was quoting me…Because I was misquoted big time, but other than that, people hear and read whatever they want, and at the end of the day, I have nothing to do with it.

These are clearly the words of someone who feels betrayed by the media for misquoting her words. However, she wants to block that out and focus on the Brisbane final.

Marta Kostyuk reveals if she has spoken about this with Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek

Marta Kostyuk has also revealed whether she has spoken about her testosterone comments with Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek. However, the Ukrainian denied it, saying she never had the opportunity because the second article had come shortly after. She clarified:

No, because they posted the second article in a few days when it became pretty big. I had an idea to do that at first, becuase that’s not really what I meant at all. But then when the second article came out, I was like, okay, I have been pretty cleared out. If I had something wrong, I never have a problem to apologize or reach out to someone or whatever, but this was not the case at all. I don’t think a lot of people have read the second article, because obviously it wasn’t clickbait anymore, so no drama, not interesting. But, I knew what I said.

Marta Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

The original spark came from an interview conducted by Tennis365 in Wuhan in October 2025. In the actual interview, the question was pretty standard: when Kostyuk plays Sabalenka and Świątek, how close does she feel, and what separates them.

Kostyuk’s answer primarily focused on the differences in physical structures. However, the quotes that garnered the most attention were those in which she discussed the potential difference in levels of testosterone.

She’s talking about how different bodies create different advantages, and how she has to problem-solve with movement, endurance, and tennis IQ instead of trying to magically gain 10 kilos and a few centimeters overnight. That is a normal conversation among athletes, until the internet decides it isn’t.

Tennis365 sent clarification on the Marta Kostyuk quotes

Tennis365 later published a follow-up, essentially trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. They said they initially opted not to include Kostyuk’s line about the top players “not taking anything,” because they didn’t want the story to carry “contentious undertones.”

Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Aryna Sabalenka and Marta Kostyuk (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Tennis365 also acknowledged that Kostyuk received nasty comments on social media and stated that this should never have been the outcome of what they described as an “enjoyable interview.” That’s the part that sticks: Kostyuk didn’t just get misrepresented, but she got treated like a villain for something she didn’t actually say in the way people claimed.

The worst part for Kostyuk is that the tennis didn’t stop while the discourse spiraled out of control.
She still had to go out and play, and now she’s facing Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final, with the top seed leading their head-to-head 4-0, all in straight sets.

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