Madrid has a new empress. Marta Kostyuk has been crowned champion of the Mutua Madrid Open after defeating Mirra Andreeva 6–3, 7–5 in the final to culminate the best week of her career in the Caja Magica. Teary-eyed, she celebrated her triumph with a spectacular backflip in the Manolo Santana Stadium, marking a victory that takes her game into another dimension. The Ukrainian is enjoying the most fruitful spell of her career; she now has her first WTA 1000 title and has gone back-to-back after winning in Rouen just two weeks ago.
“It has taken me many years to get here, not giving up, continuing to work consistently. I’m very proud of the effort I’ve put in. Thank you to my team for supporting me and keeping me afloat when it was needed”, she said tearfully immediately after winning the title. “A year ago, I thought it would never be possible to win here in Madrid, and now I ‘ve done it. I am very happy.”
Kostyuk also becomes the first Ukrainian player to win the Mutua Madrid Open, and the first player outside the top ten to lift the trophy since Petra Kvitova did so in 2011. Her tournament was virtually flawless, dropping just one set throughout the event, in the semi-finals against Anastasia Potapova, and closing out the championship after victories over Yulia Putintseva, Jessica Pegula, Caty McNally, Linda Noskova, Potapova, and Andreeva. Her fortnight in Madrid was a true masterpiece.
The final was a clash between two of the circuit’s best returners in 2026. Kostyuk came into the encounter topping that stat, while Andreeva was sixth, but the difference in the first set lay in how quickly Marta took control. The Kyiv native played very aggressively from the baseline, dominated with her forehand, and forced Andreeva to defend for long stretches. The ninth seed could not find a way to upset her opponent’s rhythm and particularly struggled with her second serve, where Kostyuk won 50% of the points on return, ultimately tipping the first set in her favour, 6–3.
The second began with another break for Kostyuk, but this time Andreeva found a reply. Conchita Martínez’s understudy won three consecutive games, including two breaks, and having trailed, she was now in the lead. The 19-year-old was determined to reign in Madrid and was ready to put up a fight, but the set then entered a phase dominated by breaks. Kostyuk broke back to level at three apiece, and the match tightened as it approached its conclusion.
Trailing 5–4, the champion had to save two set points. She rescued the second with an ace down the T, in one of the key moments of the final. That game kept Kostyuk alive and changed the course of the second set. At 5–5, she reaffirmed her status as the best returner of the year, landing three deep returns, piling the pressure on Andreeva, and taking advantage of a double fault to secure the break that left her serving for the title.
In the final game, she left nothing to chance. Kostyuk was serving for the most important game of her career, and as soon as the last point was won, she fell to the ground in tears of joy. Then, overwhelmed with emotion, she fulfilled the promise she had made during the tournament, celebrating the title with a backflip on the court.
The scene brought to an end a historic week for her. The Ukrainian reached the final in Brisbane, won in Rouen, and is now champion of the Mutua Madrid Open, all of which has secured the best ranking of her career; Kostyuk will leave Madrid as world number 15.
Andreeva, rest assured, will bounce back stronger. Madrid is undoubtedly one of her favourite hunting grounds. At just 19, she has already amassed an impressive 15 wins in the Caja Magica. She has everything it takes to utterly dominate this tournament. However, in 2026 it is the 23-year-old Marta Kostyuk who has claimed the most important victory of her career.
