Around Toronto's grounds: Kostyuk's fan moment & embracing uncharted territory

TORONTO -- Walking onto center court is usually a routine experience, and Marta Kostyuk thought no different ahead of her second-round match against Canadian wild card Katherine Sebov at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

That was until the young boy, who Kostyuk was preparing to walk onto court with, reached into his pocket.

"I have something for you," he said, presenting a card to Kostyuk, who returned the nice gesture with a small hug. 

"It was very sweet," Kostyuk said to press afterwards. "I was so surprised because you walk on court with a lot of different kids and you always try to make it a special moment for them. When he gifted me this -- first he couldn't take it out of his pocket because it like barely fit [laughing] -- it was very, very sweet.

"At the end, you're like, 'Wow, this is the reason why we actually do it,' and it's very fulfilling and I'm happy I got to experience that today."

Embracing the new road ahead

During her press conference, Kostyuk revealed she hadn't opened the envelope quite yet, but it's a unique moment for the Ukrainian in her first match back since Wimbledon. 

Kostyuk, who defeated Sebov in straight sets Tuesday, entered the match off a clay and grass-court stretch that showcased the best tennis of her career. She reached back-to-back Grand Slam semifinals, and won titles in Madrid and Rouen. It's a consistency she admits she's never managed to maintain before, and the jump back to the hard courts was one that felt ages. 

"Honestly, I felt like these changes were so drastic," Kostyuk said. "I never experienced them that much before in my career. Probably because I played a lot on clay, I played a lot on grass, so it was a new experience for me, definitely.

"Coming back on hard court, I felt I played on hard court like a year ago [laughing]. I played so many matches in between, so it's interesting. I love this part of the season. You can see how everyone is starting to get tired, how the quality sometimes drops and everyone is not that fresh. You try to see how everyone is handling it and it's always exciting. I'm happy to be back."

Kostyuk still has plenty to play for too down in the final third of the 2026 season on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. There's still three WTA 1000 events following Toronto, and the year's final Grand Slam in the US Open. 

She currently sits No. 9 in the Race to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells, and should she qualify, it'd mark her first appearance in the crown-jewel event.

The World No. 11 has never been in this position before. It's all new, but Kostyuk is certain that road ahead will be separated by mentality, and how players handle challenging situations without getting too caught up in their head.

"You always try to manage it and handle it the best way you know, then you learn from the mistakes that you do, and then you try to make it better next time that it comes around," Kostyuk said. "What worked the best for me is definitely not taking it too serious, and try to spend as little emotional and mental energy as possible.

"At the end of the day, all of us are good physically. We are all strong and that's almost never an issue, unless you are like getting injured. The problem that I feel like players come to is when they start to get tired mentally and you handle difficult moments different. You become irritated more, you're more nervous, you are rushing, and you make impulsive decisions on the court.

"It's a complicated process, but I've learned to handle it."

Kostyuk, the No. 10 seed, will face No. 19 seed Madison Keys in the third round on Thursday.