Marta Kostyuk has withdrawn from the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati where she was scheduled to face Poland's Iga Swiatek in the third round. The Ukrainian tennis player, currently ranked 27th in the world, made the difficult decision due to a wrist injury she sustained earlier in Canada.
"I did everything to be ready. With the help of my amazing team, I managed to get on court and finish yesterday's match. It was important for me to play despite the pain, but now I have to listen to my body. I'll focus on recovery to come back stronger. Thank you, Cincinnati. See you soon, New York," Kostyuk wrote on her Instagram.
Kostyuk had advanced to the third round after defeating Germany's Tatjana Maria in the previous match. Her withdrawal gives a walkover to Iga Swiatek, the world number 3.
Worth noting, this injury first became apparent on August 5th during her quarterfinal match at the prestigious Montreal tournament with a $5.1 million prize fund. The 23-year-old Kyiv native felt pain in her wrist and called for a medical timeout during her match against Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina.
After losing the first set 1:6 and failing to recover during the break, Kostyuk decided not to continue the match. The final score was 1:6, 1:1 ret. She couldn't hold back tears while leaving the court. That match marked her seventh consecutive defeat.
Can Kostyuk recover in time for the US Open in New York? The tennis world will be watching closely as she focuses on rehabilitation.
