Despite having a stellar start to her 2026 campaign by reaching the final of the Brisbane International, the world number 20, Marta Kostyuk’s season has now taken an unexpected emotional turn. The Ukrainian star arrived in Melbourne riding the momentum of a strong start to the year, yet her Brisbane final and its aftermath have sparked a storm she admits she wasn’t prepared for.

After her 4-6, 3-6 defeat to the current world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, at the Brisbane final, Kostyuk didn’t congratulate Sabalenka for the win in her post-match interview. Instead, she chose to speak about the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. As a result, she drew criticism from the fans, with some of them even labeling it as selfish and unsportsmanlike behavior.

Talking about that backlash in an interview with Tribuna, Kostyuk revealed, “I did not do a very smart thing—namely, I opened Twitter. I read all this beauty that people wrote. That night I slept very badly. I went to bed at 4 in the morning, and I cried for about 30 minutes at 2 am in the morning. For me, it is still so shocking and so incomprehensible.”

It was her fifth meeting with the Belarusian, and although she’s yet to open her account against Sabalenka, their matches have never lacked controversy and entertainment.

Addressing Marta Kostyuk’s post-match behavior, Sabalenka said, “It’s their position. What can I do? I don’t mind that. I don’t care about that. When I go into the match, it’s all about tennis and sport. When I go out there, I think about my tennis and think about what I have to do to get the win.”

Despite the lack of handshake due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia stances among players, Aryna Sabalenka took a moment during the prize money at Brisbane to praise her opponent’s strong start to the season, adding a hope that the pair would meet again in future finals.

Marta Kostyuk, although she didn’t specifically name Sabalenka. But she did thank all the opponents she had played at the Brisbane International. It was the Ukrainian’s third successive WTA final defeat. And guess what? That’s not the end of agony for the Ukrainian superstar!

Marta Kostyuk faces a double blow at the 2026 Australian Open

Marta Kostyuk’s 2026 Australian Open campaign ended in the harshest way possible – an exhausting marathon loss that became a nightmare twist to an otherwise promising start to the season. Day one in Melbourne turned into a black day in the office, with events unfolding far beyond the scoreline. The main shock came not from the defeat itself but from the devastating confirmation that Kostyuk tore a ligament in her left ankle during her first-round loss.

The injury occurred late in the third set when she rolled her ankle, collapsing to the court before receiving medical attention. Hours later, doctors confirmed a torn ligament – instantly ruling her out of doubles and casting uncertainty over the next phase of her season.

Her opponent, Elsa Jacquemot, produced the biggest upset of the day. The 3-hour and 31-minute battle featured three consecutive tiebreak sets – the first time such a sequence has occurred in a women’s singles match at the AO since final-set tiebreaks were introduced in 2019. Jacquemot even saved a match point, adding to the drama of a contest that pushed both players to their physical and emotional limits. The final scoreline was 6(4)-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(7).

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Talking about her physical setback, Marta Kostyuk shared a heartfelt note on IG after the match: “Unfortunately, I injured my ankle during my match today, and after further tests, a torn ligament was confirmed, which means I won’t be able to continue at the Australian Open in doubles with my amazing partner, @gabrielaruse.”

She is upset with the way things ended at one of her favorite tournaments. But Kostyuk accepted it as part of the sport. For now, it’s time for her to shift her focus to recovery and come back stronger. She has already set the goal of finishing the year in the Top 10. Do you think Marta Kostyuk can overcome this early setback and come back stronger in the next phase of the season?