Tennis
Ukraine tennis star Marta Kostyuk poses topless on eve of Wimbledon
- Kostyuk posed topless in Vogue Ukraine ahead of competing at Wimbledon
- The 21-year-old rising star has been enjoying an impressive season to date
- Kostyuk has reached two finals this season and is now ranked 18 in the world
Tennis star Marta Kostyuk has starred in the latest edition of Vogue Ukraine with the 21-year-old posing topless ahead of competing at Wimbledon next week.
The Ukrainian No 1 is among several athletes to feature in the magazine, with the latest issue including stars preparing for this summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Vogue Ukraine said the edition celebrates ‘legendary athletes and new stars of national sports’.
Kostyuk is hailed in the magazine as the new star of Ukrainian tennis, with ‘great hopes placed’ on the world number 18.
The tennis star is pictured topless in the shoot, wearing just white Nylon skirt-shorts in a photo published in the issue.
The skirt-shorts were provided by clothing brand Intertop.
Canoeist Lyudmyla Luzan, fencer, Olga Harlan, long jumper Oksana Zubkovska and judoka Darya Bilodid among other Ukrainian athletes to feature.
Kostyuk is far from the first tennis player to have posed topless during their career.
Fellow star Caroline Wozniacki and former Polish star Agnieska Radwanska both posed naked for magazine’s during the careers.
Kostyuk’s appearance in the magazine comes ahead of Wimbledon, with the third Grand Slam event of the season beginning next week.
The rising star will have high hopes of improving on her third round exit last year at the All England Club.
The result is currently Kostyuk’s best showing at Wimbledon in her three appearances in the main draw.
Kostyuk has enjoyed an impressive season to date, reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where she was beaten by American star Coco Gauff.
She has reached two finals on the WTA tour this season, losing to British No 1 Katie Boulter in San Diego in February.
Kostyuk was beaten by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the final of the Stuttgart Open, as well as world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the prestigious Indian Wells tournament in California.
The 21-year-old was last year named as an ambassador for the American sportswear brand Wilson, using and helping to test the companies rackets, footwear and clothing.
Kostyuk had also enlisted Wilson to design the dress for her wedding to Heorhii Sudakov last year. The brand also designed her husband’s suit for the ceremony at a luxury resort in Cyprus.
‘Wilson has always supported my dreams on the court, but my relationship with the brand goes far beyond tennis,’ Kostyuk wrote last year.
‘A big shout out and huge thank you to the talented team there that worked around my demanding tour schedule to make another dream come true; a custom, one-of-a-kind wedding dress that turned out even more amazing than I could have imagined.’
Kostyuk is understood to play an important role in designing her kits.
Her green outfit at the French Open last month earned praise from fans, with some claiming the bold design was the best kit at Roland Garros.
Kostyuk will have to adhere to Wimbledon’s famous all-white rule at the Grand Slam.
Organisers last year relaxed the rule to allow female players to wear white undershorts to ease worries over periods.
The Ukrainian tennis player, who is based in Monte Carlo, has been vocal about Russia’s ongoing invasion of her homeland.
Kostyuk has refused to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus amid the conflict, which led to her being controversially booed at the French Open in 2023.
Last year, Kostyuk launched a charitable foundation aimed at supporting children in Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.