"Happy for her; sad that players didn’t reach out to her" - Chris Evert reacts to Marta Kostyuk's Austin title, sympathizes with her over Ukraine war

Chris Evert rejoiced in Marta Kostyuk's watershed moment on the WTA tour as the Ukrainian tennis star clinched her maiden WTA title at the ATX Open on Sunday. Evert also took the opportunity to express her dissatisfaction with the fact that Kostyuk did not receive enough support from fellow players on tour when the still ongoing war in Ukraine first began last year.

Kostyuk beat Russia's Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 7-5 in the final in Austin, Texas to complete the most successful week of her career so far. Courtesy of that win, the 20-year-old achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 40 on Monday.

Reacting to her victory, Evert said she was happy to see Kostyuk succeed. She also, however, expressed disappointment with other players after learning about the difficulties Kostyuk has faced with regards to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Happy for her, too… thank you for the article, read it and felt disappointed and sad that players didn’t reach out to her," Chris Evert wrote on Twitter.

Speaking to Tennis.com in an interview last year, Marta Kostyuk criticized Victoria Azarenka and other colleagues on tour for not speaking out against the war. Kostyuk has been very vocal in raising awareness about the plight of Ukrainians ever since the war began.

"Spread a good message that they don’t support the murders, the rapes, the genocide that’s happening," Kostyuk said about what she hoped to hear from other players.

With her ATX Open win, Kostyuk has improved to a 15-6 win-loss record this season. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open.

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"I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine" - Marta Kostyuk after winning ATX Open title

Marta Kostyuk in action during the Abu Dhabi Open 2023.

In an emotional speech after winning her maiden WTA title, Marta Kostyuk dedicated the victory to her country. She paid tribute to those who have lost their lives in the war and those who are still fighting.

Kostyuk chanted the phrase "Slava Ukraini" which translates to "Glory to Ukraine," to honor her compatriots. She also expressed how special it felt to win the title.

"Everyone who is in the stands and everyone who is watching, especially in Ukraine, I want to say 'Slava Ukraini'," Kostyuk said during the trophy ceremony.

"Being in the position that I'm in right now, it's extremely special to win this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and all of the people who are fighting and dying right now," she added.

Kostyuk will now aim to carry on the momentum and continue her good run of form in Indian Wells and Miami. The youngster reached the second round at both tournaments last season and has only a combined 70 rankings points to defend during the Sunshine Double this year.