Discovering newfound stability, Kostyuk connects with new coach

BEIJING — Just a few months in the past, Marta Kostyuk discovered herself adrift in a follow session with Caroline Wozniacki. Her swings had been there, however they weren’t connecting. This shortcoming went deeper than simply her pictures. Kostyuk thought she was trapped in one other psychological funk from which she couldn’t escape. 

Kostyuk jokingly promised new coach Sandra Zaniewska she would mount a statue within the participant’s condo if in some way she might emerge from the follow block efficiently touchdown the ball within the courtroom.

Kostyuk then acquired candid. 

“Normally once I had this type of conduct, all the opposite coaches, nobody for one second would settle for it or attempt to perceive why I really feel like this or attempt to have a dialog with me, and even simply let me be,” she informed WTA Insider. “She did and I used to be like, ‘Wow, that is next-level teaching. I’ve by no means seen this.'”

Kostyuk has been fast to credit score Zaniewska for serving to her navigate a bodily and emotionally making an attempt two months. Zaniewska, who coached Petra Martic through the Croatian’s career-best years from 2017-2019, was introduced on after Wimbledon. The 2 clicked instantly.

“I am an individual who talks, and it was very troublesome for me as a result of whenever you work with a male coach, most of them do not discuss,” Kostyuk stated. “They can not categorical what you are feeling and alter.”

“I have been coached by my mother for many of my life, by a lady. I am very glad and I actually hope that examples of mine and Sandra will deliver extra coaches on tour and the women will belief extra ladies.”

At the moment, amid the longest and hardest journey stretch in her profession, Kostyuk arrived for the China Open feeling, as she described, “hopeless.” She had not posted back-to-back wins since Washington D.C. and misplaced a tricky three-set duel to Daria Kasatkina in Tokyo.

However flash ahead a couple of days and the 21-year-old Ukrainian knocked out No.7 Ons Jabeur 7-6(5), 6-1 to advance to her first WTA 1000 Spherical of 16. It was her third High 10 win of the 12 months and second below Zaniewska.

Nonetheless, Kostyuk is fast to level out that her success with Zaniewska cannot be measured by outcomes alone. If that had been the litmus check, how might she clarify the four-match dropping streak she endured in North America this summer time?

“Actually, if I take a look at this journey result-wise, it is a catastrophe,” Kostyuk stated. “However there’s one other aspect that nobody sees and I am actually happy with myself.

“Each day is a wrestle, however I used to be actually glad to have Sandra by my aspect on this journey. She says, ‘Bear in mind how at first of the journey one thing would occur and you wouldn’t be capable to play in any respect? Now look, you are laughing about it.’ That is in regards to the perspective. 

“It is very nice to acknowledge this stuff and concentrate on them as a result of it makes you admire your self extra and be happy with your self extra.”

Being straightforward on herself has all the time been a wrestle for Kostyuk. Paying homage to Coco Gauff’s debut on the world stage at Wimbledon, Kostyuk was simply 15 when she made her Hologic WTA Tour debut on the 2018 Australian Open, the place she engineered an auspicious run to the third spherical. 

However what must be a notable reminiscence, Kostyuk is saddened to say, has turn out to be tainted. She has struggled over the previous six years to dwell as much as the promise of that run. Two years in the past, she opened up in regards to the despair she suffered afterward and the concern that she was being handed by different proficient teenagers. 

As she noticed Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff soar into the High 10, Kostyuk put much more stress on herself. As an alternative of being happy with what she had achieved at such a younger age, Kostyuk might solely see what she hadn’t. She hit a career-high at No.27 in Could of this 12 months, however no matter her rating or type, she nonetheless put an inordinate quantity of stress on herself to win. 

“It is my fixed way of thinking since I am 15,” Kostyuk stated. “Even not being near a favourite, I nonetheless anticipate myself to place up a very good combat and win. I am making an attempt to not be like that, but it surely’s not straightforward.” 

Even on Tuesday, dealing with an in-form Jabeur, Kostyuk needed to combat herself to maintain expectations in verify. She was tight to begin the match and Zaniewska noticed it. 

Earlier within the week, a fan gifted Kostyuk a pair of enormous, yellow sun shades. When Zaniewska put them on, Kostyuk might solely snort. Unexpectedly, her coach appeared like a bee. 

“She saved the sun shades and stated she would put them on on the proper time within the match,” Kostyuk stated. “On the changeover at 3-2, I checked out her and began laughing. I felt like I used to be tight and I felt it was not straightforward to get out of this.”
 
These little intuitive moments are what Kostyuk appreciates.

“I am feeling very relaxed as a result of I haven’t got to fake or be scared, or I do not know inform her one thing as a result of I do not know the way she is going to react,” Kostyuk stated. “I am very emotional so a number of coaches earlier than would attempt to management it, such as you can not throw your racquet or one thing like this. She simply lets me be how I’m and who I’m. We be happy.” 

Discovering that line between her aggressive ambition and a extra relaxed method to her profession is the important thing for Kostyuk. Now that she feels free to unburden herself and tackle her coach’s phrases of knowledge, Kostyuk is settling right into a extra mature perspective on life as an expert tennis participant.

Kostyuk says she realized she was spending an excessive amount of power beating herself up after losses. 

“There’s nothing you possibly can change about the truth that you misplaced. You may see it two methods, optimistic and unfavourable. Optimistic is, you sit down and you actually consciously and truthfully, with your self and your coach, speak about what we now have to do and also you sit and you’re employed. 

“Or you possibly can sit and destroy your self and speak about how all the things you do is incorrect. You can not construct on this. You can not develop, as a result of each time you’ll maintain it in and you’ll have a three-loss streak and you’ll break down. So it is about holding the feelings and having low highs and excessive lows.”