Leading Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk made a difficult decision that will change her schedule at the Wimbledon tournament. After triumphantly advancing to the quarterfinals of the singles draw — her first ever on the London courts — the athlete was forced to end her participation in the doubles event prematurely.
Priority of the Main Tournament
The situation became critical for the Ukrainian due to the necessity of playing two matches in one day. On July 6, Kostyuk played a tough match in the fourth round of the singles draw, where she convincingly defeated American Ashlyn Krueger. This success was historic: Marta reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time. However, she was also scheduled to play in the doubles draw simultaneously.
The tennis player had already undergone a similar marathon on Saturday, July 4, but this time her body could not withstand the load. The main factors were the exhausting London heat and health issues. The final decision to withdraw from the doubles tournament was made by the coaching staff, insisting that all efforts be focused on the singles competition.
Athlete's Statement
Marta Kostyuk herself is quoted by "Suspilne Sport." She admitted that she had been experiencing digestive problems since early morning. Under conditions of extreme heat and the stress of a major tournament, her body could not cope with the load, and her usual diet did not produce the desired effect.
"I was ready to go play, but the whole team stopped me — after all, singles is the priority," the Ukrainian explained. Despite the desire to continue the fight in doubles, her health and the prospect of reaching the singles semifinals proved more important.
Results and Prospects
In the doubles draw, Kostyuk competed in a tandem with Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse. At the round of 16 stage, the duo was supposed to meet strong opponents — the ninth-seeded Ellen Perez (Australia) and Demi Schuurs (Netherlands). Thanks to reaching the third round, the Ukrainian had already managed to repeat her personal record in Wimbledon doubles.
Marta's decision resulted in Ukraine losing its representation in the tournament's doubles draw entirely. However, all fans' attention is now focused on her singles performance. The historic quarterfinal match will take place on Wednesday, July 8. The Ukrainian tennis player's opponent will be the world's seventh-ranked player, Italian Jasmine Paolini.
