Marta’s Moment in the Sun

History was made in multiple ways on Sunday at Westwood Country Club as Marta Kostyuk won her first career title to capture the inaugural ATX Open. 

Kostyuk claimed the title with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Varvara Gracheva in 90 minutes. She celebrated by falling to her knees and crying along the baseline. 

The 20-year-old Kostyuk was playing a WTA final for the first time in her career and becomes the seventh WTA player to win their first title before turning 21 since 2020.

In the 10-minute opening game, a tense tone was set, with Kostyuk converting on her fourth break opportunity after five deuces. 

Neither player could get their footing with the serve through the first set until the sixth game when Kostyuk was the first to hold. That was the only advantage she would need to win the opening set. 

After exchanging holds to open the second set, three straight breaks gave Gracheva a 3-2 lead. She held that advantage to serve for split sets up 5-4, and earned a set point in that game before getting broken to get to 5-all. 

Kostyuk held, then broke again to close out the match by winning the final four games in a row. 

In Monday’s WTA Rankings, Kostyuk is projected to rise to a career-high No. 40.