Marta Kostyuk: Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have ‘higher testosterone’

Asked if she felt intimidated by Sabalenka and Swiatek, Kostyuk replied: “We all have our own biological structure. Some have a higher level of testosterone, some have lower. It’s just natural and that definitely helps.

“I feel smaller than them. I try to see how I can beat these players with the tennis skills I have, but I have to work harder to win the points. I have to run a lot more than them to win points.

“I cannot make myself ten kilograms bigger or five centimetres taller, so I have to use everything I have at 100 per cent. For other players, they have more of an advantage in other things. This is just the way I am.

“I look at the photos when we shake hands at the net and I look so much smaller than some of my opponents. It’s just part of the sport and a very cool challenge for me to take on these players. There are many, many things I can do to be better, but they have an advantage on me.”

The comments have raised eyebrows in the tennis world as Kostyuk is not particularly small, at 5ft 9in. Swiatek is the same height, while Sabalenka is only two inches taller. Coco Gauff (ranked No3) is 5ft 9in, Amanda Anisimova (No4) is 5ft 11in and Jessica Pegula (No5) is 5ft 7in.

There is also a prime example of a player who has overcome a difference in size to compete at the top of the sport. Jasmine Paolini, a 29-year-old Italian, is ranked No6 and last year reached two grand-slam finals, at Wimbledon and the French Open, despite being 5ft 4in.

While stronger muscular builds can help players produce more powerful shots, the variety of body types on the WTA Tour shows that different skills can be adapted to overcome this. Kostyuk offered no specific details or evidence for her claim that Sabalenka and Swiatek benefit from more testosterone.

The level of natural testosterone in females can vary, with some studies linking higher amounts to increased muscle mass and better recovery. Supplements and drugs which artificially increase testosterone are banned under anti-doping rules.

Kostyuk has struggled for consistency after starting the year at a ranking of No18. She has gone no further than the quarter-finals of any tournament and has claimed only one win in eight matches against top-ten opposition, beating Gauff at the Qatar Open in February. She lost to Sabalenka twice in consecutive tournaments at the Madrid Open and Italian Open during the European clay-court swing in April and May.

Overall, Kostyuk has a combined win-loss record of 0-7 against Sabalenka and Swiatek. She did at least acknowledge that they benefit from greater mental strength in the key moments.

“Their confidence is just different,” Kostyuk said. “I have played some close matches against Aryna and you see how she plays the break points. She just doesn’t care. She has no doubt that she will save them. She hits a big serve and hits the forehand. No doubt.

“She is No1 in the world, she has played a lot of finals and she has that confidence. That helps her to have no doubts. It is not so easy for me to play without doubt. It is an interesting sport and I’m enjoying the journey of trying to figure it out.”

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