Marta Kostyuk declared Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer her biggest tennis inspiration as the Ukrainian tennis star used to regularly watch the two giants and tried to learn from them in the process.
The Ukrainian, who will turn 23 in June, has been an established WTA player for the past few years as she has one title in her collection and has been ranked as high as No. 16 in the world.
While the current world No. 18 has yet to make a really big result, it is safe to say that she is already making a very solid career for herself.
This week, Kostyuk is competing at the WTA 500 tournament in Merida, where she is the sixth seed.
Ahead of the tournament, she participated in a game where she had to draw a question and then answer it.
“Which tennis player inspired you the most?” the question the Ukrainian drew read.
“I used to watch a lot of tennis when I was a kid, so I was always learning from everyone. But I’d say Roger and Novak. I remember them the most from my childhood,” she answered.
💬Marta Kostyuk on who inspired her most growing up:
“I used to watch a lot of tennis when I was a kid, so I was always learning from everyone. But I’d say Roger and Novak. I remember them the most from my childhood.”
📹 wtameridaopen (IG) pic.twitter.com/QZ6TuCcQy3
— Ukrainian Tennis • BTU (@ukrtennis_eng) February 23, 2025
Kostyuk once thought she was going to ‘marry’ Djokovic
Seven years ago – when the Ukrainian was just 16 – she was debuting at the WTA 500 tournament in Stuttgart.
And after winning three qualifying matches that year and also beating Antonia Lottner in the main draw first round, she made a comment that went viral.
“Until I was nine I thought [Novak] was going to be my husband,” said Marta Kostyuk in Stuttgart on Tuesday.
“Until I was nine I thought @DjokerNole was going to be my husband” – @marta_kostyuk 😍 😂 😂 pic.twitter.com/pyywu2s4BF
— wta (@WTA) April 24, 2018
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