Marta Kostyuk è diventata la seconda tennista ucraina a raggiungere i quarti di finale in singolare alle Olimpiadi

In a dramatic and emotional match lasting nearly three hours on the Philippe Chatrier court, the 22-year-old Olympic debutant fought through four match points but ultimately lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekić in a tiebreak, with scores of 4:6, 6:2, 6:7(8).

Following the match, Kostyuk admitted that the defeat was particularly painful as she was close to advancing to the semifinals and potentially winning a medal for Ukraine:

“It was difficult; I couldn’t find my rhythm. My racket wasn’t strung correctly, and I was waiting for my usual rackets to arrive. My opponent played well, but I acted a bit passively, which I think affected my performance. Nevertheless, I am glad I managed to fight back and put up a decent fight. Donna Vekić is playing at an incredible level, making very few unforced errors during the tiebreaker. I was very close to winning an Olympic medal, and of course, this defeat hurts. I did cry a little, but now I’ve calmed down. I believe I did everything I could. Tennis continues, and I’ll keep competing in future tournaments.”