Tennis player Marta Kostyuk, the face of La Roche-Posay in Ukraine, talks frankly about the price of success and defeat, injuries, self-improvement and favourite skincare products
About successes and failures
September turned out to be a hot month for 23-year-old Marta Kostyuk, who in July became the face of the dermocosmetic brand La Roche-Posay in Ukraine: she reached the 1/8 of the prestigious US Open, stormed into the semifinals of the legendary women's tournament Billie Jean King Cup as part of the Ukrainian national team, and on September 24 she started a new WTA 1000 series tournament in Beijing, where she reached the 1/8 finals. The tennis player continues to gain shape with confidence.
However, she values not only victories. When we discuss the pivotal moments of the first half of the competitive year, Marta recalls intense and spectacular matches, including the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open in April and the 1/8 finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on May 20. Even though in both Marta lost to the "neutral" Aryna Sobolenko, she calls both matches a step in her career. After all, in tennis, the result is measured not only by victories: defeats are also part of progress. That is why Marta calls even lost matches an important experience.
About a new attitude towards the game
"To be honest, I've never felt so fresh at the end of a season in my entire career," admits Marta, who truly radiates radiance, despite the gruelling schedule, the road and the time difference. She explains this by the fact that she has managed to change her own attitude towards tennis: "I've always worked until I was exhausted. However, I've now realised that it won't work that way. Our (tennis players – Ed. note) careers are quite short, so you need to live it with excitement, enjoy it, and not suffer and wait for it to end. I like how I'm playing now, what mood I'm in and how I enjoy my work," she says confidently.
About the injury
In August 2025, Marta was injured during a WTA 1000 match in Montreal. "I played a really cool game against Kasatkina in the tiebreak in the third set. And I fell on the racket right on my wrist." Despite the pain, she finished the match, but the next day she felt that the pain was seriously interfering with her daily activities. In the quarterfinals, she simply could not hold the racket in her hands.
An MRI showed a torn ligament in her right, working hand. Kostyuk still tried to go on the court in Cincinnati the following week, but realised that she would not be able to play at a high level. She had to withdraw from the tournament and focus on recovery – treatment in Los Angeles, work with a French rehabilitator who works with NBA players, Kobe Bryant's physiotherapist, and special exercises.
"I had a difficult period," admits Marta, who, until the last moment, did not know whether she would be on the US Open court. Everything worked out: the athlete set a personal record – she reached the quarterfinals of this prestigious tournament for the first time in her career. For this, 7 days before the match, she had to master a new serve movement: her usual one did not work due to an injury. This approach turned out to be successful.
About skin care
With her combination skin, prone to dryness, Marta prefers La Roche-Posay products, as she knows them well and has for a long time, as the brand has often been a partner of major tennis tournaments. Marta never goes on the court without Anthelios sunscreen: long and exhausting matches are usually held under the scorching sun, and the skin needs protection.
So she applies sunscreen every morning and reapplies it after a workout. "It doesn't leave a white cast, is suitable even for sensitive skin, and is fragrance-free."
Marta's face, wet with sweat, is constantly being wiped with towels. "My face hurt when I was in New York," says Marta. She was saved by Hyalu B5 moisturising serum, which contains four types of hyaluronic acid. She says she can use half a bottle in the evening – it's light and absorbs well.
If ordinary people take care of their skin in the morning and evening, then tennis players have their own rules. They also have to take care of it after matches: "I definitely need to wash everything off and apply Hyalu B5 serum from La Roche-Posay. It moisturises and soothes." Marta "closes" the serum with Cicaplast B5+ balm – "It contains panthenol, madecassoside, zinc – it restores the protective barrier very well, soothes irritated skin." She always keeps it in her sports and travel bags, along with Anthelios.
When travelling, Marta always uses the soothing moisturising cream-gel for cleansing problem skin, Efaclar H Iso-Biome. She often adds the lipid-restoring balm Lipikar AP+M Light to her favourite serum Hyalu B5. At night, she sometimes uses the powerful gel-cream Efaclar A.Z., which works well with rashes and post-acne.
About makeup, perfumes, treatments and hair care
Marta rarely applies her favourite Louis Vuitton perfume before matches: "I don't see the point in smelling delicious on the court," she laughs. She limits herself to deodorant.
She goes out on the court without makeup. She puts her hair in a ponytail or a bun. She chooses silk elastics, 4-5 at once: only this many can hold her heavy mane.
Marta is very careful about her hair: she dyes it only once a year. She trusts it to only one person in the world – Ukrainian colourist Serhiy Trosko, to whom she is ready to come from another country and sit in a chair for 15 hours for the sake of soft, gentle lighting. As a result, the strands have the effect of slightly fading in the sun, while remaining dense and silky throughout their entire length.
She loves all the treatments based on temperature contrasts, including cryo- and regular saunas, as well as cold pools. And also – infrared light sessions and massage. To restore her psyche and calm down, she listens to bilateral music on headphones. She also cannot do without body products. "I have several lotions, but now I increasingly choose Lipikar from La Roche-Posay. It suits me: very good for sensitive skin."
About relationships with fashion
Marta has a reputation as one of the most stylish tennis players in the world. She says that the world of fashion allows you to be different, to express yourself however you want. So, in Paris, she happily wears dresses and heels, and in Los Angeles, she can go out to dinner in sweatpants. For several years, she has entrusted her appearance to Ukrainian stylist Sonya Soltes.
Since the beginning of 2023, Kostyuk has been Wilson's first head-to-toe ambassador, featuring a complete set of equipment, from rackets and shoes to clothes and bags, all from one brand. In 2023, Wilson made a wedding dress for her, and the team developed a game version for Wimbledon 2024 based on it. After the tournament, the company released a serial model, The Marta Dress, for retail.
About managing emotions
Cancer by horoscope, Marta is sensitive, prone to reflection and profound deep experiences. The audience adores her for her emotions on the court. But the tennis player works hard to control them: "I won't be able to do my job if I'm guided by emotions." She is helped by knowing herself, understanding the brain's functioning, and the biochemical processes.
She calls tennis a teacher of life, saying that it provides the opportunity to experience emotions that are unavailable in any other profession. "The enormous tension and pressure do not allow you to remain calm. You raise your pulse to the maximum, strive for victory, all this – in front of thousands of stands. Of course, this is a colossal amount of stress. But just like the power of the blow, I also train my reactions. This is a lifelong job. It will not end when I finish playing tennis."
When I ask how to master excitement or anger, Marta replies that you need to work on this, just as you would on your physical form. "All high-level players know how to play tennis. But your psyche decides a lot." The athlete says that the "Eastern European" mentality is very different from the Western one: "We simply don't work on our psychological state and do not take care of it. It's good that something is changing now."
When asked if she would like to be "calmer in general," she answers simply: "No. I'm open to all emotions – both good and bad. It's a cool process of life. For me, the most valuable thing is to watch myself change, grow, and develop."
About motivation
Marta says that she is no longer motivated by her place in the ranking. "It is only the result of actions, efforts, and matches. Therefore, I try to focus on the process, on how I work every day. After all, the result is made up of all these days." She is inspired by the path itself: "I have goals in charity, in the work of my foundation, in sports results. But I wonder where I will end up in the end. This uncertainty is the most interesting thing. So I focus on what I can actually do every day, I want to move on and just live."
Video: Yaw Hinne
Photo: Stephan Lisowski
Style: Victoria Filipova
Set design: Natalia Tyuleneva
Video editing: Marina Shulikina
Makeup and hair: Sasha Vetrova
Style assistant: Yuliia Ostapchuk
Gaffer: Oleksiy Kuzmenko
Production: Marina Sandugei-Shyshkina, Oleg Patselya
Interview: Alyona Ponomarenko