Marta Kostyuk is making history at the Australian Open and she’s doing it with a lot of personality. The 15-year-old became the youngest player to reach the third round of the Happy Slam since Martina Hingis in 1996.
It’s time to get more familiar with the colorful Kostyuk:
1
She’s from Ukraine, but doesn't live there
Kostyuk hails from the same nation as No. 4 seed Elina Svitolina, who she’ll face for a spot in the fourth round. She trains in Zagreb, Croatia, having spent the last six months there working on her game. Her homeschooling program sends her back to Ukraine for exams twice a year.
2
She won the junior Australian Open
The teen captured the girls crown in Melbourne last year, and has reached as high as No. 2, but she's glad to be done with juniors. She prefers being rewarded with prize money, and just earned her biggest paycheck by far ($142,500).
"Maybe I will get the presents for my family, first of all, of course. Because I have big family," she said. "And then for myself a bit."
3
She didn't enjoy tennis as a child
In an interview with WTA Insider, Kostyuk revealed she picked up the game at 4 to spend more time with her mother Talina Beiko (who’s a former WTA player and coach). But she didn't take a liking to the game that early.
"It's not like I didn't like it. I actually said that I wasn't enjoying it," she said. "I was loving tennis. I keep loving it. I always want to win, no matter what. If I was losing, it was, like, tragedy... Now I start to enjoy it finally."
4
Her team has a familiar face in it
Kostyuk main coach is Luca Kutanjac but she’s also advised by Ivan Ljubicic, who happens to be on Roger Federer's team too. The bubbly teen also casually exchanges words with Federer when they cross paths.