Kostyuk storms into her first Wimbledon quarterfinal to complete the surface set and saving the backflip for a bigger day
Marta Kostyuk beat Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4 on Monday and will face the winner of the match between Italian Jasmine Paolini, the No 13 seed, and Filipino Alexandra Eala, the No 29 seed, in the next round
Marta Kostyuk, Wimbledon 2026 | © Ch. Caillaud / Panoramic
Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal on Monday, beating American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. The No. 12 seed was the more aggressive player from the outset, and even a mid-match stumble could not slow a run that has now brought her 20 wins from her last 21 matches.
Kostyuk took charge early, racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening set and consolidating for 5-3 before serving it out. The second set brought the afternoon’s only scare. Krueger, playing the best Grand Slam of her career, edged 4-2 ahead, only for Kostyuk to answer with four games in a row to shut the door.
After Swiatek and Anisimova
Her advantage came down to pressure: she broke four times from 10 break points, and although Krueger converted both of her own opportunities, it was not enough against an opponent dictating the tempo. Krueger’s 29 unforced errors told the rest of the story.
Born in 2002, Kostyuk became the fourth player born in the 2000s to reach a women’s singles major quarterfinal on all three surfaces, after Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova, both born in 2001, and Coco Gauff, born in 2004. It is her third Grand Slam quarterfinal, and a second in succession after her semifinal at Roland Garros last month.
Kostyuk’s backflip on Saturday?
Kostyuk will next meet the winner of No. 13 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy and No. 29 seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, who play later on Monday for the other last-eight place in that section of the draw.
Three matches now stand between Kostyuk and a first major title – and a promise. Asked whether she had been practising the backflip she has vowed to perform when she finally wins one, Kostyuk said after the match: “I have some people in the restaurant who are telling me, ‘Can you do a backflip the next time you win the match?’ I’m like, ‘Guys, I save it for the only moment I win my first Grand Slam.’ So hopefully.”
Wimbledon 2016, women’s singles, fourth round
N. Osaka [14] d. A. Sabalenka [1]: 6-2, 7-6(2)
K. Muchova [10] d. B. Krejcikova: 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
J. Pegula [4] d. I. Jovic [16]: 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
C. Gauff [7] d. B. Bencic [11]: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
M. Kostyuk [12] d. A. Krueger (Q): 6-4, 6-4
J. Paolini [13] vs A. Eala [29] – Monday
M. Keys [26] vs L. Noskova [9] – Monday
E. Mertens [25] d. M. Bouzkova [21] – 6-4, 6-4
