Marta Kostyuk Recalls Watching Roger Federer in Player’s Box After her First Win on Wimbledon Center Court

Marta Kostyuk took a moment to recall going to watch Roger Federer win Wimbledon to playing at the Center Court, the same ground the Swiss legend triumphed. The Ukrainian star had booked her place in the last four of the grass-court Grand Slam after beating Jasmine Paolini in straight sets.

Kostyuk has been one of the top performers since the clay season. After winning the Rouen Open in April, she claimed her first WTA 1000 title by triumphing over Mirra Andreeva in the final of the Madrid Open. The 24-year-old withdrew from the Italian Open and was back on the court at Roland Garros, where she reached her maiden Grand Slam semi-finals.

Although she lost to Andreeva in the last four of the French Open, it was a step in the right direction for the Madrid champion. She has continued with her blazing form at Wimbledon, winning five matches at the All England Club for the first time in her career. Kostyuk had not gone past the third round of Wimbledon until this year’s edition.

On Wednesday (July 8), she faced 2024 Wimbledon runner-up Paolini in the quarter-finals and produced one of the most remarkable performances of her career. The 12th seed delivered a strong display, winning 90 percent of her first-serve points and didn’t face a single break point in her 6-3, 6-2 win over the Italian star.

After the win, Kostyuk recalled being in the stands during one of Federer’s matches at the 2017 Wimbledon. The then-15-year-old was seated behind the players’ box, watching the Swiss legend compete. Federer won the championship that year after easily dismissing Marin Cilic in the final at the Center Court:

I am very pleased with how I handled the situation and the tactical approach to the match… It was nine years ago. I remember he played against Tomas Berdych and practically dominated him. I was seated right behind the players’ box and felt very fortunate to have that experience. Now, going out to play there has been something entirely different.

The 2017 Wimbledon final was the first time Federer claimed the championship since 2012. He had defeated Andy Murray in 2012, but after that year struggled in the grass-court major. Federer was in the Royal Box on Monday, watching Arthur Fery beat Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

Marta Kostyuk says she can’t pinpoint what she changed in her game this season

Marta Kostyuk’s rise on tour this season has been extraordinary. The Ukrainian has struggled at big tournaments for several seasons, often failing to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, but this year she has now reached the last four of two major tournaments.

However, the biggest question has been what she has been doing differently this season that has seen her win 11 of her last 15 matches on tour. She revealed during the aforementioned press conference that it is very difficult to pinpoint what she did that has made her a good player on the court:

I have worked on many things for a long time. Tennis is a very complex sport, and you can’t point to just one change. The most important thing has been to gain consistency in my daily life, both in how I play and how I feel. I don’t see it the same way. They are two completely different tournaments, with different opponents. For me, it will simply be another match.

Kostyuk, however, suffered a straight-set defeat against Linda Noskova in the semi-finals and eventually crashed out of the Wimbledon Championships.

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