“I think what I’m the most proud of, it wouldn’t be any particular tournament, but just the way Marta has grown over the last year,” her coach Zaniewska tells Baseline.
“When we started last year, there were a lot of challenges off the court as well, and I feel like she has grown so much as a person, and that helped her to grow as a player on the court as well. Witnessing this journey is probably the most fulfilling thing for me, as well.”
The pair both say one of the keys to their partnership’s success has been open communication and honest feedback. Kostyuk was previously coached by mom Talina Beiko, a former pro tennis player who represented Ukraine at the Billie Jean King Cup. Last year, her search for a female coach who could provide both the technical feedback and emotional empathy she was looking for led to Zaniewska, who previously worked with Petra Martic.
Read More: Marta Kostyuk earns best win by ranking against Coco Gauff in Stuttgart quarterfinals
“We are very similar. In fact, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age,” Zaniewska says. “So it’s a fun thing when you just get to connect with another person on a deep level and in a good way and you create a mutual trust.
“(She’s) high energy, super excited about life, and very young, but at the same time, very mature. So you can have great conversations with her.”
That high energy, aggressive tennis and emotional, passionate playing style make Kostyuk a fan favorite. But in the long term, the goal is to keep building on her results by channeling those emotions in a positive direction.
Not blocked out completely, just “guided, a little bit”—like her ever more stylish wardrobe.
