THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2023

Marta Kostyuk

Press Conference

M. KOSTYUK/P. Badosa

6-2, 1-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Your initial thoughts on today's match, if that's okay.

MARTA KOSTYUK: Honestly, I played my doubles and I watched Les's match, and I completely forgot I played a match today. Sorry. Long day. (Smiling.)

Well, I knew Paula's still coming back from her injury. You know, coming back on grass court is very difficult, especially with injury. So I knew she's not playing her best tennis. So I knew I had to fight. I just fought, and I tried to make her believe that she doesn't have a chance today.

I think that worked. I'm sorry that she had to pull out and, you know, she has had a difficult year. Yeah, I mean, I'm happy with my performance today and hopefully I can carry that on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You face Madison Keys next and you haven't played yet. What have you seen of Madison, if anything much, and what are your thoughts about the matchup?

MARTA KOSTYUK: I played doubles against her in Paris last year. While she obviously has a great kick serve, but I don't know how it is on grass. Sometimes it's good, it bounces well, you know, and sometimes it actually gives an opportunity to another player.

She's aggressive player. She hits the ball hard. I practiced with her once actually at Wimbledon a couple years ago. But I have no expectations from this match, because, you know, I will probably have to figure out a lot of things during the match as we go on.

Yeah, I mean, I'll fight all the way and see what comes out of it. I mean, I'll speak to my team obviously, because I'm pretty sure I play tomorrow. I don't know, I'll get ready like it's any other match.

Q. Why is that that you think it will be during the match you'll be figuring things out when she's such an experienced player, it's not like she just burst onto the scene and is somebody new where people haven't seen her yet?

MARTA KOSTYUK: Because I never felt how her ball is. I felt how her ball comes, you know. Because everyone has this different, I don't know how to explain this, everyone has a different ball. So I will be ready, but I kind of don't know what to get ready for, because I never really got a chance to stay against her playing singles.

So I'm going to fight, because I have my game too. Moving forward in the match, I will try to, you know, to get the best possible outcome of the match against her.

So I don't know. I just, I'm not treating this like any special match. Just want to look at it as another Grand Slam match.

Q. You mentioned your satisfaction with how you are playing right now. What gives you the most satisfaction about your game at this point in the tournament? Obviously today in singles you didn't have a long match, but you did play doubles and you know how you're performing on the grass.

MARTA KOSTYUK: I just like to get hours in, match hours in. So just being on the court a lot of hours during the match helps you gain a confidence regardless of what the result is sometimes, because it's just this time that you spent, you cannot get this feeling anywhere else.

So no matter how hard you practice or what you do, this feeling of like stress and fear and excitement and pressure and all these things that come only in the match, you can only experience it in a match. So I'm just happy I get a chance, I'm not injured. I feel good, so I can use it as much as I can.