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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2017

Marta Kostyuk

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

M. KOSTYUK/R. Masarova

7-5, 1-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How's it feel to be a Grand Slam champion?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Actually, I was more excited yesterday when I go through the semis. Maybe if I didn't have my phone with me and didn't see all the congratulations from everybody from everywhere, maybe it would be more excited. I don't know.

Q. Not too many people come to their first Grand Slam junior tournament and win it.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yes.

Q. Last year exactly in January, you won Les Petits in France, 14 and under. Now you're here winning a junior slam. This is a remarkable progress on your side. What happened in these 12 months?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I don't know. I improve a lot, and I feel it. Maybe the most, like, improvement period was in May when Ivan (phonetic), my manager, invite me to practice in Monte Carlo for ten days. And after that I won grade two. And maybe after that I start to doing my serve a little more and start to practice more and more. And then I signed with Ivan (phonetic) and start to practice in Cannes, in Kiev, so everywhere. It was fine. And I'm trying to work hard.

Q. Where are you based out of for training?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Actually, I'm in the tournaments; it's everywhere. In Kiev, like for some blocks like one or two weeks, maybe two times per year. And usually in Cannes, but it's not that often. But yeah.

Q. Can you explain what Ivan (phonetic) has done for you and have you worked with Roger?
MARTA KOSTYUK: He did a lot, I don't know. He give me a bit of his experience and big tennis. And I met finally Roger today. He congratulated me. And I took a photo with him, so I was very excited. And I'm still...

But, yeah, the most I think important is he gave me his experience.

Q. Do you know Ivan (phonetic) well?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Because Ivan (phonetic) is Croatian and also my manager. I don't know how to say it. He just helps me when I need something. He knows her well. And we met each other in this tournament until she said, I will come to your matches and we'll see. And I will support you and if you need something, you can ask me. And every day she came for my matches, and that's how we started to be together a little bit.

Q. Who else is here?
MARTA KOSTYUK: My mom, she's my coach also. And yeah, she's also with me. When I travel in the big tournaments, she's always with me.

Q. Talk a bit about the match. You were in trouble in the second set, but you really finished off strongly?
MARTA KOSTYUK: It happens sometimes when you're -- when I'm nervous. I won first set, but it was very tight, like it was 5-2. I had four set points, and I finished just on the score 6-5.

Maybe when we start to play second set, she was like -- her consistency was like a bit more than mine. And she was in the game, you know? And I just lost a little bit of this.

When I start to play second set, I just started to think that good that I almost won. And that what didn't really helped me. And on the score? What was the score? Yeah, 1-0 for her, and we played the game like 12 minutes, and I finally won it. And I think it wasn't that good. Maybe it was better to lost it. But I relaxed a bit more. Then it was like five games in a row. So, I don't know.

Maybe when score was 3-1, I just stop to play and I was ready for the third set, and was ready for the third set. She can't stop to play that fast. Maybe it was good that I was like waiting for the third set and then start to play.

Q. Your shoulder, your leg?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yeah, my abs, but you can't see it.

Q. You're falling apart.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yeah, I'm just too tired. I didn't have rest for one year maybe, so that's why I will have it now. And it was my -- like, we didn't have -- in juniors we have preseason in March, because we have Orange Bowl in...

Q. December.
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yeah, December. And that's why we don't have time to go to some rest, some vacations. And then preseason, we don't have time for it. That's why I had preseason, but I didn't have vacations. I will have it now.

Q. You said you don't live anywhere at the moment because you're always traveling on the tour. What do you do about school and learning?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I'm study at home. But I have a school in Kiev, is a special school for the people like me. You just do your homework at home and then just come and write two tests per year for each lesson, so it's not that hard. But if you're alone, you can't say to yourself that you need to do something. It's tough. Tough life.

Q. Big names in women's tennis has won this tournament in years past. Does it make you optimistic that you have a big future for yourself ahead?
MARTA KOSTYUK: You mean that I played, or what?

Q. Like some past champions here?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Oh. Like a lot of champions who are champions now and a lot of champions who are not champions now, so I can't really say. Like if you will see, there is like a lot of champions of Grand Slam junior who is not in the now, who is not in the final of the Australian Open, you know? But I'm just trying not to see this results.

If you will see something negative, you will focus on negative and you will not see positive way. That's why I'm trying not to see the results.

Q. How will you celebrate this victory?
MARTA KOSTYUK: I'm going to change my screen on the phone. It's my dream. I didn't have time this three weeks. And maybe some shopping, yes. I like it. Yes.

Q. Shopping here in Melbourne?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Yes. Because I didn't -- I still wasn't in some shops.

Q. What do you like to shop for?
MARTA KOSTYUK: More clothes.

Q. Jewelry?
MARTA KOSTYUK: No, jewelry I don't like. I lost everything. I need to buy something and don't buy anymore. Yeah. So more clothes, yeah.

Q. You're very young even as a junior. How do you see your transition into the pro tour? How many years do you think you will still play in the juniors?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Juniors? This year, my plan is to play just Grand Slams. So Rolland Garros, maybe Wimbledon, and US Open in the States. Because we have limits in pro tournaments. I have eight, and seven left until my birthday. That's why I don't really want to play a lot of pros in the same, like, period.

And juniors is also not that good for me now. Because if you win something, when you go to the tournament, you're -- you focused to win. But sometimes it's not good. If you are coming, like me this year, if you're coming just to play, you will win. But if you come to win, you will always have something in your mind that is very tight, you know? You can't play your game, because you have to win.

Q. We've seen a lot of Ukraine flags and the fans were singing. What does that mean for you?
MARTA KOSTYUK: It's like good when someone's screaming for you so much, and I'm so proud of this guys who are coming. Between the tournaments one day I was in one of them, at one of them's house. And they did party for us with one also Ukrainian girl. So it was good. And when you come, some like in other country and there is like Ukrainians and you feel it and you like it, because they are Ukrainians and you feel it. So yeah, I'm proud.

Q. How did you start playing tennis?
MARTA KOSTYUK: My mom is coach, she was a player in past. And I don't know. Maybe I slept with tennis racquets, who knows (smiling).

Q. Do you have any idols?
MARTA KOSTYUK: Um, no. Never have them, never. I don't know why. Maybe me. But who knows (Smiling).

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