No. 11 seed Marta Kostyuk defeated 2017 champion and wild card Sloane Stephens, 6-1, 7-5, in just under 90 minutes on Wednesday to advance to Round 3 of the 2026 US Open.
WHAT HAPPENED
The US Open second round match on a dreary Wednesday afternoon between No. 11 seeded Marta Kostyuk and the 2017 champion and wild card entry this year Sloane Stephens featured two players on obvious divergent career trajectories.
The 24-year-old Kostyuk is soaring high on a breakout season for the Ukrainian highlighted by reaching both the French and Wimbledon semifinals and winning two WTA Tour titles in the spring.
As high as world No. 3 in 2018, Stephens had struggled with injuries through 2025 and balancing a busy life outside the court with TV work and her philanthropic efforts for a precipitous fall in the world rankings out of the Top 1000. The American came into Flushing Meadows this week No. 209.
So it was not unexpected that under the Louis Armstrong Stadium roof, Kostyuk had too much firepower and youthfulness to hold off a very game Stephens, 6-1, 7-5, in just under 90 minutes.
The match completed a US Open circle for Kostyuk who recalled taking a photo with Stephens in the locker room in 2017.
“I had just won the junior doubles and she won the title on the same day and I got a picture of the two of us together afterwards,” Kostyuk told the crowd in her on-court interview. “Maybe I will post that today.”
Kostyuk had beaten Stephens just two weeks ago in Cincinnati in a tight 7-5, 7-5 match so she expected a tough match and got one after a slow start by Stephens.
Cheered on by the fans, the American erased an early service break in the last set and had a set point on Kostyuk’s serve in the tenth game. Kostyuk saved it with her seventh ace of the match. In the next game, Kostyuk got the needed service break on her second try when Stephens lofted a backhand long. She clinched the win to advance on her second match point when Stephens missed a forehand.
WHAT IT MEANS
On her seventh appearance in Flushing Meadows, Kostyuk had only found limited success on the USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center hard courts with a career-best fourth-round appearance last year.
But, never has the hard-hitting right-hander had the type of year long success she has had this season with two clay court titles in the spring and back-to-back Grand Slam semifinal results at the French Open and Wimbledon to bolster her confidence and attitude.
“I’m enjoying the sport to the fullest,” she said. “I want to keep enjoying it and I appreciate each and every single day.”
MATCH POINT
One of Kostyuk’s two little dogs, Mander, was again at courtside for the match. Will the other pup, Chich, make an appearance soon?
