Marta Kostyuk pulled out of her women's doubles match at Wimbledon just hours before she was scheduled to return to No. 2 Court on Monday, giving a walkover to her opponents. The Ukrainian 12th seed had earlier stormed past American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4 in the first match of the day on the showcourt to reach her maiden singles quarter-final at the All England Club.
Doubles withdrawal shocks fans
Kostyuk was due to team up with Elena-Gabriela Ruse against the No. 9 seeds Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs in the women's doubles third round. However, the pair withdrew shortly before the match, handing Perez and Schuurs an automatic passage into the quarter-finals. The reason for the withdrawal has not been officially disclosed, but it is understood that Kostyuk's focus may be on her singles campaign.
Singles run continues
The withdrawal applies only to the women's doubles event, meaning Kostyuk remains in the singles draw. She will compete again in two days' time for a place in the semi-finals. The 22-year-old Ukrainian has been in impressive form, having not dropped a set in her four matches so far. Her victory over Krueger was her first career win on No. 2 Court, and she will be looking to build on that momentum.
According to tournament officials, Kostyuk's decision was made to prioritize her singles performance. A source close to the player said, "Marta is fully focused on her singles run and wants to give herself the best chance to recover and prepare for the next round."
Opponents react
Perez and Schuurs, who were preparing for the match, expressed surprise at the walkover. "We were ready to play, but these things happen in tennis. We'll take the win and move on to the next round," said Perez in a brief statement.
Upcoming challenge
Kostyuk will face either No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula or unseeded Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarter-finals. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, and Kostyuk will be aiming to become the first Ukrainian woman to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Elina Svitolina in 2019.
