For Marta Kostyuk, the Brisbane heat has brought more than just sweat. The 23-year-old Ukrainian, who arrived in Australia speaking boldly about her goal of breaking into the Top 10 for the first time, is now backing up those words with performances that feel like a statement.
For Marta Kostyuk, the Brisbane heat has brought more than just sweat. The 23-year-old Ukrainian, who arrived in Australia speaking boldly about her goal of breaking into the Top 10 for the first time, is now backing up those words with performances that feel like a statement. After winning the first match in three sets, Kostyuk secured two impressive victories against the Top 10s. Against Amanda Anisimova (3) in the R16 and then against Mirra Andreeva (9) in the QF. Guess what? Let’s now make it three out of three, as Jessica Pegula (6) also faces a similar fate!
Pegula, one of the most consistent players on Tour, found herself on the wrong end of a shockwave. Kostyuk didn’t just beat Pegula; she overwhelmed her. She bulldozed through the first set with a cruising 6-0 scoreline and carried that same ruthless momentum deep into the second, leaving the American scrambling for solutions that simply weren’t there. Seeing her incredible dominance in this match, renowned tennis journalist Jose Morgado shared a tweet highlighting, “Kostyuk bagels Pegula in 20 minutes. She is ON FIRE so far this week.”
Talking about some numbers that will certainly raise the eyebrows of all Jessica Pegula fans, she hit just one winner and committed 24 unforced errors in this match. It took Kostyuk just 55 minutes to secure her fourth career WTA final
At 31, Jessica Pegula was the oldest player still in the draw. Even the American showcased some real resilience in the first three matches of this competition. But sadly for her, Kostyuk spoiled her hopes of starting the new season with a title. Last year, Pegula won three titles (Bad Homburg, Charleston, Austin). She is known for defeating the players who are seeded and ranked below her. For example, since the 2025 US Open, Pegula has won 13 of her 14 matches against opponents ranked outside the WTA Top 20.
But with this 0-6, 3-6 defeat against the world number 26, Jessica Pegula has now taken their H2H record to 4-2. Pegula, one of the Tour’s steadiest players, simply couldn’t find resistance. Every ball Kostyuk struck seemed to come with extra conviction – deeper, heavier, faster. When Pegula finally tried to disrupt, Kostyuk pressed even harder, cutting off angles and stepping into the court like a player who believed she belonged in control.
By the second set, the question wasn’t if Kostyuk would win – but how quickly. Kostyuk had one Top-10 win all of last season. Now, within the first month of 2026, she has secured three. Unstoppable Ukrainian! What did she say after beating Jessica Pegula, though?
Marta Kostyuk cracks a joke after a dominating performance against Jessica Pegula
Marta Kostyuk didn’t just win; she laughed her way into the Brisbane International final. Moments after dismantling Jessica Pegula with a blistering, fearless performance, Kostyuk delivered the line of the day. The interviewer on the court teased her with, “That was relentless. Looked like you were rushing somewhere. Do you have dinner reservations?” Hearing this, the Ukrainian gave a wide smile and replied, “I was rushing to not get the sun on the court because it’s a really terrible shadow.”
The victory against Jessica Pegula sends Kostyuk into her first-ever Brisbane final, but she’ll now be facing someone who knows Brisbane’s centre court like home. The Belarusian is also in red-hot form in Brisbane! Earlier in the day, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4 to reach her third consecutive Brisbane final. After the match, the Belarusian didn’t hide her excitement about her form heading into the title clash.
“Yeah, I definitely feel that compared to the first, I mean, okay, the first match, but compared to the first match here, I’m playing better and better. That’s really important tournament heading to Melbourne, to build that level, and to play some great matches against great opponents. So I’m super happy with the performance so far and cannot wait to play my final match here.”
Sabalenka owns a 4-0 head-to-head over Kostyuk – all straight-set wins. On hard courts, Sabalenka has been almost untouchable, especially in Australia. She has won 37 of her last 39 matches on Australian soil, and she is now eyeing her 22nd career title.
While the final mark is unexplored territory for the Ukrainian. But she will be full of confidence with her last three wins against the Top 10 opponents. Especially her dominating result against Jessica Pegula will surely do wonders ahead of this blockbuster clash against the world number one. Who’s your pick for the final, though?
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Category: General Sports
