BILLIE JEAN KING CUP: ITALY VS UKRAINE

September 19, 2025

Marta Kostyuk

Team Ukraine

Semi-Final Press Conference

M. KOSTYUK/E. Cocciaretto

6-2, 6-3

Team Ukraine - 1

Team Italy - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Marta, please.

Q. What do you think you did so right in that match? What went well for you?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, I think there are things that I was better at than her. I think I was serving pretty good today, just staying in the point, you know, keeping the depth of the ball. I think it was really crucial today. Yeah, we had a plan for the match, and I think I did it really well.

Obviously I was a little bit nervous in the second set. I don't know if it was visible. I was kind of like, Oh, I'm so close. Oh, I'm so close. Obviously, these matches, there is more emotion. You are trying to calm yourself down.

I'm really happy that it ended in two sets because Elisabetta did an unbelievable comeback in the previous match. I knew she's going to be fighting till the end.

Yeah, I really happy it ended like this.

Q. Talking about the second set, there were a few games that were very tight. You didn't let her get back into the match. How important was that mentally for you, and for her, to have the belief she could not come back?

MARTA KOSTYUK: I think I had to stick with my game plan. I just feel like I was playing really good in the first set. Because she was missing a lot, I kind of slowed down a little bit. She managed to somehow come back in the game. It got tighter. It wasn't that easy. It was also more difficult for me to be aggressive again. It took some time.

I think at the end it was really important because I needed to play aggressive, I needed to take the time away from her and move her. I did it at the end. Obviously it was not perfect. I don't think it ever is. But I got the job done. I think it's the most important thing.

Q. You're playing in the semifinal of the Billie Jean King Cup, the first match. That's pressure. Knowing that Elina has to come out and face Jasmine Paolini, does that add the pressure on you to make that positive start for the team?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, for sure. When the score is even, you want to make sure that the team leads as Elina goes into the match. I think it's a very different emotion for her and for Jasmine starting the match being up, kind of have this positivity, less pressure of like, If I lose this match, we lose the tie. Obviously it's important.

But I don't think it's healthy for me to think this way. I really just tried to think about this particular match that I have to play, that it doesn't decide anything.

It's also a team competition. I play for the country. It's already more responsibility than we usually carry. I don't want to find more things to be responsible for (smiling).

I think I really just tried to focus on doing my job. We have a really good team. I just trust them, believe in them, and cheer for them, hoping they can do well, too.