Why Marta Kostyuk is 'Excited' for Iga Swiatek Rematch in Toronto

Marta Kostyuk just won’t stop winning.

The 24-year-old Ukrainian notched her 24th win in her last 26 matches after sweeping aside No. 19 seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-1 at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Toronto. Kostyuk was 0-2 against the American before Thursday, but she never looked in doubt during her 72-minute victory.

W🤯W@marta_kostyuk displays some top notch tennis to defeat Keys in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/AnnGmkJZzr
— wta (@WTA) August 6, 2026

Kostyuk has been on a tear since April. The Ukrainian won two tournaments this spring, including a maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid. Her two defeats during this stretch came in Grand Slam semifinals, where she lost to eventual champions Mirra Andreeva at Roland Garros and Linda Noskova at Wimbledon.

Kostyuk, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of World No. 11, attributes her success to consistent hard work.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS 🫢

Marta Kostyuk's Madrid celebration is ICONIC 👑#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/17XXwyGDbz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 2, 2026

"I've been working very hard my whole life, and surely making the right decisions along the way helped; having the right people helped," she told reporters in Toronto. "I think just being consistent day in, day out, whether it's difficult or not.

I would love to give you a formula, and for everyone to use it, but there isn't one. At this point, I'm really focusing on enjoying the challenges that I am facing every single day, and actually embracing them and trying to learn as much as possible along the way."

Add that to the highlight reel 😆@marta_kostyuk | #NBO26 pic.twitter.com/cgFfzPdrDC
— wta (@WTA) August 6, 2026

Kostyuk seeks her eighth top-10 victory of the season when she takes on World No. 8 Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 on Saturday, August 8. Swiatek dropped a total of six games in her opening two matches in Toronto, but Kostyuk is a far greater threat. Two months ago at Roland Garros, the Ukrainian delivered a stunning 7-5, 6-1 win over the six-time major winner.

Swiatek leads the head-to-head 3-1 and dominated their two hardcourt meetings, both in 2024. Kostyuk said she's "excited" for the chance to notch another victory over the Pole, but on a different surface.

Iga Swiatek after beating Golubic in Toronto

“Are you gonna go home and relax? You play the winner of Marta Kostyuk and Madison Keys…”

Iga: “Recovery is the most important thing. For sure I’m gonna prepare tactically. I don’t know if I’m gonna watch or not. We’ll see how the… pic.twitter.com/G6bypljLBY
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 6, 2026

"I definitely had a really good win against her in Paris," Kostyuk said. "I'm really curious what she's going to change for the next match. I will see what I'm going to change for the next match. Different surface, different game. I think it's going to be great."

The 2026 National Bank Open presented by Rogers runs through August 16. The alternating host lands the WTA tournament in Toronto this year, with the ATP tournament taking place in Montreal. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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