“Not a good look”; “A hot mess” – Fans accuse Marta Kostyuk of ruining WTA Finals quality after disastrous Jessica Pegula display
47 unforced errors from Marta Kostyuk were enough for Jessica Pegula to seal the win against the Ukrainian on Tuesday, and tennis fans could not believe their eyes. With Kostyuk now 0-2 in Indian Wells this week and already eliminated from the tournament, calls are rising against the World No. 10’s inclusion.
Kostyuk entered the WTA Finals as an alternate initially, but entered the main draw after World No. 1 Elena Rybakina’s injury withdrawal. She faced Linda Noskova in her opening clash, and went down 2-6, 4-6 in straight sets against the Czech.
With another straight-sets loss to Pegula (2-6, 5-7), the Ukrainian is out of contention to reach the semifinals. The defeat against the American was marred by errors from both players, most of it from Kostyuk. She also served nine double faults on the night, winning just 57 points in total.
Fans on social media were in disbelief at what they saw from Kostyuk, questioning why she did not withdraw from one of the biggest tournaments of the season if she knew there was something physically bothering her.
“Kostyuk needs to withdraw. It’s not a good look for the WTA when a player plays this poorly in arguably the biggest tournament of the year,” one fan wrote
“So Kostyuk is just here to waste everyone’s time?” another said
“This was a hot mess,” one fan wrote.
Here are a few more reactions from fans
In her final group match, Marta Kostyuk will take on Coco Gauff. While Noskova is qualified for the semifinals, Gauff will face elimination if she loses on Thursday.
“Marta Kostyuk has every right to be in the WTA Finals” – Jessica Pegula
In her post-match interview after the win against Marta Kostyuk, Jessica Pegula was magnanimous, lavishing praise on her for her 2026 results and her unpredictable game.
Pegula also assured detractors that Kostyuk deserved to be in the WTA Finals as much as everyone else, saying:
“She’s had an amazing year. She has every right to be in this tournament. It’s always a battle with her. She has so much athleticism. She competes well. She has a lot of firepower. Sometimes I don’t know what’s gonna happen on the other side of the net as far as whether she’s gonna hit a drop shot, hit a winner 100 mph mixed with spin. She’s very unpredictable. That can be hard to play against.”
Kostyuk had a breakthrough Slam year in 2026, reaching the semifinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon.
