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world number 27 Marta Kostyuk has claimed Arina Sabalenka And inga swiatek“Higher testosterone levels” make them better players.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian explained that Sabalenka and Swiatek’s body size is a factor that separates them from them in the rankings.
In a recent interview with tennis365 In Wuhan, Kostyuk said: “Against Iga, when I played her, I was not ready to play her at all. I played her a year ago and she was very strong. With Aryana, I know it’s a tough fight. I have my skills, but at the end of the day, they’re all much bigger than me, much taller than me, much stronger than me.”
Asked if she felt “intimidated” by players like Sabalenka and Swiatek, Kostyuk replied: “We all have our own biological structure. Some have higher testosterone levels, some lower. It’s absolutely natural and it definitely helps.
“I feel smaller than them. I try to see how I can beat these players with the tennis skills I have, but to win points I have to work harder. To win points I have to run a lot more than them.
“I can’t make myself ten kilograms bigger or five centimeters taller, so I have to use 100 percent of everything I have. As for other players, they have more advantages in other things. That’s just the way I am.
“I look at the pictures when we go to the net and I look a lot smaller than some of my opponents. It’s just part of the game and competing against these players is a great challenge for me. There are a lot of things I can do to get better, but they have the advantage over me.”
Kostyuk is listed as 5 feet 9 inches tall on the WTA website – the same height as World No. 2 Swiatek and just two inches shorter than World No. 1 Sabalenka, who stands at 5 feet 11 inches. World No. 3 Coco Gauff is also 5 feet 9 inches tall, while World No. 6 Jasmine Paolini is 5 feet 4 inches tall and has reached Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.
The Ukrainian has lost all four matches she has played against Sabalenka – including two close matches at the Madrid Open and Italian Open this season – and all three she has played against Swiatek, with their latest meeting set to take place in August 2024 in Cincinnati.
Kostyuk acknowledged that mental strength also plays a role and admitted that he does not find it “so easy” to play without doubt. He further added, “Her confidence is absolutely different. I have played some close matches against Aryana and you can see how she plays break points. She doesn’t care. She has no doubt that she will save them. She serves a big serve and hits forehands. There is no doubt about that. She is No. 1 in the world, she has played many finals and she has that confidence.”