THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2026

Marta Kostyuk

Press Conference

M. KOSTYUK/A. Krueger

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Marta, share a few thoughts on the match today.

MARTA KOSTYUK: Yeah, I think was good match. I was struggling a little bit physically today with the heat and everything. But very happy to be through into quarterfinals.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your game seems to be clicking so far on grass, not having done any of the run-up events. What aspect of your game are you most proud of?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, I think I adapt really well. When I need to, I read well when I'm overdoing or not doing enough. I feel like today, you could see clearly how I was trying to change pace, I was not trying to, like, overhit and give her more balls. I think just giving myself this freedom of trying different things is definitely helping.

Q. You're experiencing a season of many firsts. What is the taste of this one, your first quarterfinal here at Wimbledon? Is it as powerful and as special as your first quarterfinals at the Australian Open or the French Open?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Hmmm... I don't know. I would like to believe it, but I don't think so. I feel like when it happens for the first time, like anywhere, you experience it different.

Of course, it's a special place. Again, I never done well here. But for sure I don't experience the same emotions as I did in Australia.

Q. What is it going to take at Wimbledon to see the backflip?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, to win again. Easy answer (smiling).

Q. You've spoken in recent months about the work you've done behind the scenes in therapy to kind of separate the results from your own view of yourself. You're on such an incredible run, the results are so good, do you ever feel the risk of falling into old habits where you do associate results with your own kind of self-worth?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Good question. Hmmm...

I don't think so, because I've done a lot of very deep work on understanding myself on a very, like, basic human level, understanding where my worth is coming from. It's not coming from being a tennis player.

I think that helps to separate it in a way, like, I told Sandra before my third round, before my fourth round, that I know I've done a good job already here. I'm very happy with my progress on grass and just generally how I feel on the court. No matter how this match ends today, I'm still going to be same happy and I'm excited for the American swing.

So I try to go into every match with this type of thinking. For sure different things happen in life. Something can happen, I can go back into old habits. But I worked really hard not to do it.

I spoke about it in Paris where I said changing these habits was the most difficult thing that I've ever had to experience or do. So for me playing tennis is much easier than doing this, because it takes much longer to get better at it, much more work, much more self-awareness.

It's the same thing when you have huge success when you're young, a lot of new things happen to you, and you have no idea how to deal with it, and then once you know what it takes to get there, once you've done it couple of times, you kind of know what to expect a little bit.

Of course, it makes things probably less exciting but more stable. I think it's the same here. I've been falling down a lot of times in my life, going back to old habits, old reactions.

Yeah, I don't know. We'll see (smiling).

Q. You spoke on the court about how much more your opponent had played on grass than you had. Can you assess her game, her level right now on grass, Ashlyn?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Well, I think it was a good match and it was very tricky because she came from quallies. She played the tournament before that she won. She just had a lot of matches.

I felt like I have a chance in closer moments in the match because I knew she's not feeling fresh anymore. I feel like on grass, the most difficult thing is to stay fresh and not in pain because it takes a lot out of your body. The movement, staying low all the time, it's very different movement from our normal, normal hard court tennis or clay court tennis.

I felt like this is where I can, like, get better or I can beat her at this. But I knew she's going to play well. She has this very interesting ball because it's very deep and, like, doesn't have a lot of spin, but it's a lot of pressure. It wasn't easy to play back with the same speed.

She obviously has very good serve. Not much I could do today. I tried to do as much as I could, but it was not how I usually play on return. I try to be more aggressive, try to put more pressure. Today was more difficult.

But still happy I broke her two times in a row in the end of the second set. Yeah, I mean, for sure grass is her good surface.

Q. You said you were struggling physically today. Was it the heat? The ankle you roll before?

MARTA KOSTYUK: No, I did a little mistake and I had problems with my stomach. I still experience some problems.

Yeah, I think the heat. It was pretty stressful match for me because I was the one coming into this match with kind of being a favorite, such good opportunity, playing for the first quarterfinal here in Wimbledon. Of course, there was more pressure.

I think just all these things kind of connected. For sure the heat didn't help.

Q. If you're to compare your runs in Paris and here, if I remember well in Paris, the draw was stacked with Russian and Belarusian players. Is it more stressful or less stressful to play in a draw without any Russian or Belarusian players left?

MARTA KOSTYUK: I think in Paris I just played one Russian player who changed her nationality. I mean, I just focus on my opponents. If I'm going to look at the whole draw, I'm going to lose my mind.

Q. In the latter stages of the tournament.

MARTA KOSTYUK: I played Mirra, as well, yeah.

I don't know. I take it match by match. I don't look at the whole draw. Obviously now I know that I'm not playing Russian or Belarusian player at this tournament 100%. I just try to focus on my opponents right now, and that's it.