Marta Kostyuk achieved her best-ever performance at the Mutua Madrid Open by defeating 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in a thrilling three-set match on Friday. This win marked a significant improvement, being only her second main-draw victory in seven appearances at the prestigious Spanish tournament.
Entering this year`s event, the Ukrainian player had a less-than-stellar record in Madrid, with just one win from six career matches and three consecutive losses in the second round. However, her determined 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over the former US Open winner propelled the 24th seed into the third round for the first time in her career at the Mutua Madrid Open. Her next challenge will be against Veronika Kudermetova, with a coveted spot in the last 16 on the line.
Beyond overcoming a formidable opponent in Raducanu (who had just secured her first outdoor clay-court win in three years in the previous round), Kostyuk also battled physical discomfort. After claiming the first set, she required a medical timeout to address an apparent wrist issue. Despite this interruption, she successfully managed any lingering concerns to complete the match, which lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Here are some key statistics from Kostyuk`s notable victory:
2: This win was Kostyuk`s second against Raducanu in their three career meetings. It also served as sweet revenge for their previous encounter, which coincidentally took place in the second round of the 2022 Madrid Open. In that match, Raducanu, then the tournament`s No. 9 seed, had convincingly defeated Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1.
3: Kostyuk`s success ensures a strong Ukrainian presence in the third round, with three players advancing. 17th seed Elina Svitolina, who also arrived in Madrid with a losing tournament record, secured her spot by defeating Great Britain`s Sonay Kartal 6-3, 6-1 on Friday. They are joined by qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, who advanced when lucky loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto retired while trailing 7-6(5), 6-4, following the earlier withdrawal of No. 12 seed Karolina Muchova due to illness.
4: In a notable swing in the second set, Raducanu won four consecutive games to level the match. Kostyuk responded by winning four straight games in the decisive third set to clinch the victory. A curious pattern emerged across all three sets: the player who ultimately won the set initially took a 2-0 lead, was then challenged as their opponent caught up, before finally pulling away. In the first set, Raducanu even recovered from a 3-1 deficit before Kostyuk won three of the last four games.
11: The match saw a total of 11 service breaks. Kostyuk capitalized on 6 out of her 16 break point opportunities against Raducanu. The Brit was slightly more efficient on her chances, converting 5 out of 7 break points.
To continue her deepest run yet at the Madrid Open, Kostyuk must face Veronika Kudermetova next. Kostyuk has not yet beaten Kudermetova in their head-to-head, although they haven`t played since 2021. Kudermetova, a former Top 10 player, reached the third round after a demanding three-set battle against Spanish lucky loser Cristina Bucsa, where she saved a match point before winning 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5.
