Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has reached the round of 32 at Roland-Garros after navigating personal distress and technical changes alongside her coach, Sandra Zaniewska.
The number 15 seed holds a perfect 13-0 record on clay this season, securing titles in Rouen and Madrid.
Kostyuk's tournament opener began under heavy emotional strain when she received news of a missile strike near her family home in Kyiv.
Zaniewska focused on providing immediate emotional support and easing the player's tension during the warm-up session.
"I always say that I'm not living through this. So I'm not here to give advice or to even relate, and I cannot relate.
So I assume that I don't understand.
I can only be there and tell her that I support her and that's it," said Zaniewska to rolandgarros.
com.
Zaniewska adjusted her coaching approach to accommodate the difficult circumstances before the match started. "I said, 'Look, I'm here', that's it.
And of course, it was in her head and I was trying to make her laugh a little bit to make it a little bit lighter," she added.
The Polish coach used a Ukrainian-colored mascot and her matching tennis shoes to distract the athlete.
"Then I saw that my tennis shoes were in Ukrainian colours as well.
So I took them off, I put this mascot in, Marta was laughing, took some pictures and I tried to just make it a little bit lighter," added the coach.
Technical Adjustments Pay Off
The partnership has yielded significant technical development over the past three years. Zaniewska initiated systemic adjustments to Kostyuk's serve, forehand, and court movement to unlock her competitive potential.
"I was in a way waiting a little bit for it to click," said Zaniewska.
The structural changes allowed Kostyuk to perform with greater consistency and fewer errors on the court.
"At the beginning, I felt like technically she had some things that were obstructing her almost from playing the way that she could play," explained Zaniewska.
The training regimen advanced to tactical understanding and mental economy training with Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli.
"Now, when it's a little bit free on both wings and also on the serve, it's like she always had the options but now she's able to use them more freely.
Because she doesn't make as many mistakes, because it's just fixed, in the way she moves and in the way she swings," explained Zaniewska.
The strategic buildup included playing a WTA 250-level tournament in Rouen to prepare for high-pressure situations as a top seed.
"During Billie Jean King Cup week (early April), I gave an interview and they asked me, what would I see for her?
What would I want for her this year?" recalled Zaniewska.
The coach noted that the subsequent tournament victory validated her interview commentary.
"And I said, I would want her to get a title because I feel like this could start a good momentum.
And this is literally what happened the week after, right?
So, I was like, yes, I have to say more things that I want for her to happen in interviews," added Zaniewska.
The emotional connection between the duo remains central to their professional success, with Kostyuk reviewing Zaniewska's Substack newsletter regularly.
"I love it, because I never have to wonder how she feels, she's always going to express it," said Zaniewska.
The coach embraces Kostyuk's expressive nature as a competitive asset rather than a detriment. "I think it's a positive thing.
And you have to have the platform and the space to express it with the people that you have the closest, right?
Because if they're going to give this to you, then you're going to feel much more comfortable.
And you know that all those things, they don't have to kill you," added Zaniewska.
The training has helped the player manage her emotional highs and lows during matches.
"Sometimes these emotions are there and you can feel them and go through them and they don't have to take over your life.
And I think before, this emotional side would be much more visible because she would sway with those emotions.
And now, in a way, I think she's aware that they're there. She knows that they're there.
They are present and that's okay. But she can look at them from a little bit of a bigger perspective," said Zaniewska.
Kostyuk will face Viktorija Golubic in the third round of the tournament on Friday.
