Marta Kostyuk Reveals After Roland Garros Exit How Therapy Helped Her Enjoy Tennis: “I Was Very Traumatized Before”

Marta Kostyuk‘s Roland Garros run ended on Thursday (June 4). Up against her was Mirra Andreeva, who clinched an easy 6-1, 6-3 win to secure a spot in her career’s first Grand Slam final.

The win helped the Russian ace improve her head-to-head record over Kostyuk to 1-2. Before this match, Kostyuk was on a 17-match winning streak, as she won titles at the Open de Rouen and the Madrid Open. Kostyuk, despite the defeat, will be leaving Paris “very happy“.

For her, the most memorable moment of her campaign was the ovation she received from the Philippe-Chatrier crowd after beating countrywoman Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Kostyuk, in short, is enjoying tennis a great deal. And therapy is the reason behind her current state of mind.

I underwent a lot of therapy. When the large-scale conflict started, I realized that I needed to change my perspective on life because, clearly, this is not just about tennis. So, a long process began that has lasted for over four years. The most important thing was deciding what kind of career I wanted to have and what kind of person I wanted to be. Slowly, I progressed towards that.

Marta Kostyuk said in the post-match press conference

Before Roland Garros, she told her coach, Sandra Zaniewska, that the battles she won in her head make winning Majors seem nothing.

I have gone through an incredible journey to become a different person and player; playing tennis now seems very easy to me. I was very intense before, needing to control everything, and was very traumatized. I don’t think you can succeed in tennis without being a little crazy, but I didn’t like how I was with myself; I wasn’t happy. Control was the worst of it all.

Marta Kostyuk added

Kostyuk played in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in her career. Before this tournament, she had made just one quarterfinal appearance at this level (at the 2024 Australian Open).

Andreeva, on the other hand, played just one Major semifinal before this French Open. She, in fact, has reached her fourth final of the season after the Adelaide International (beat Victoria Mboko), Linz Open (beat Anastasia Potapova), and the Madrid Open (lost to Kostyuk).

The Russian ace will be clashing with fellow first-time Major finalist Maja Chwalinska next. Chwalinska knocked out Diana Shnaider in the semifinals.

Marta Kostyuk on her rankings goal

Marta Kostyuk is on the verge of becoming a top 10 player for the first time in her career. At present, she is standing in the 12th spot in the live rankings. The Ukrainian ace, at the press conference after her Roland Garros exit, said good tennis will eventually help her rankings.

If I am there, it’s probably because I belong there. In tennis, one thing is getting there, and another is staying there. My goal is to be a consistent player, stay healthy, and keep growing as a player and as a person. If my ranking improves, it means I deserve it.

Kostyuk, apart from the Rouen and Madrid events, also played in the final of the Brisbane International, losing the match to Aryna Sabalenka. The 23-year-old, after some much-needed rest, will start preparing for the grass swing.

Last year on grass, she played three events. After her first-round defeat at the hands of Emma Navarro in Berlin, the American ace beat her again in the first round in Bad Homburg.

At Wimbledon as well, Kostyuk suffered an opening-round exit; this time, she lost at the hands of Veronika Erjavec. Kostyuk has never made it past the third round in the third Major of the season, reaching that stage in 2023 and 2024.

Also read: Flavio Cobolli Reveals ‘Crazy’ Rafael Nadal Shower Superstition After Reaching Roland Garros Semifinal