Marta Kostyuk’s maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid came on Saturday thanks to her power, poise and a pair of unexpected lucky shorts.
The world No. 23 beat eighth-ranked Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in under 90 minutes to secure the most prestigious trophy of her career, her third professional singles title and second in less than a month after Rouen.
Yet as the 23-year-old Ukrainian posed for photographs at the Caja Magica, it was not just the silverware that caught the eye.
Photo: AFP
Held alongside her team and her two dogs, Kostyuk showed off a piece of black men’s underwear, prompting raised eyebrows and plenty of laughter.
“We have a tournament laundry service, and sometimes the clothes get mixed up, and last year we ended up with this piece of underwear where in it was written: ‘LUCKYSHORTS.’ So, we kept it,” Kostyuk told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus.
“My coach Sandra [Zaniewska] kept it as a lucky charm,” she added. “She drove to her father’s house just to pick it up before traveling here again for the tournament, and we made this promise that if I’d win, we would bring the lucky shorts for the photoshoot with the trophy.”
Photo: AFP
Kostyuk was delighted to finally conquer a tournament she had long admired.
“This trophy tastes like champagne, no doubt about it,” she said.
“Honestly, watching this tournament as a child and remembering all the people who’ve won it before me, I never thought this was possible, it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s one of the toughest tournaments of the year, and everyone plays so well, especially now. So, it certainly tastes good, but I just want to enjoy this today, and that’s it.”
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