Marta Kostyuk's Australian Open campaign ended in heartbreak as she suffered a nasty fall during her first-round match against Elsa Jacquemot. The Ukrainian, seeded 20th, fought through pain but lost in a historic triple tiebreak. Jacquemot advanced to the second round with a 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(7) victory.
Marta Kostyuk arrived in Melbourne with high hopes after a strong start to 2026, including a Brisbane final and wins over three top-10 players. The world No. 20, who reached the quarterfinals here in 2024, faced French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot in the opening round on January 18.
Kostyuk took the first set 7-6(4) in a tiebreak, but Jacquemot leveled the score by winning the second set 7-6(4). The match went to a decider, where Kostyuk built a 5-3 lead. However, at 5-6 and 30-0 while serving to stay in the set, she rolled her ankle in a bad fall and called for the physio.
Despite the injury, Kostyuk showed resilience, forcing a third-set tiebreak. The contest became the first triple-tiebreak match in Australian Open Open Era history, lasting 3 hours and 31 minutes—the longest of the tournament so far. Jacquemot, ranked 60th and in her debut main draw, saved a match point and won the tiebreak 7-6(7) after Kostyuk's drop shot hit the net.
"It was a crazy match," Jacquemot said afterward. "Marta played so good. So I’m very happy to win this match. It is not easy."
She added about the tense moments post-injury: "It’s not easy because you feel it’s kinda like the end of the match... I tried to stay as calm as possible… I’m really happy I stayed focused."
Kostyuk's preparation had emphasized longevity. After a busy 2025 with 22 tournaments, she took time off for mental health. "It was a team decision," she said before Brisbane. "We were like, ‘OK, we want some longevity, and we want me to be mentally healthy.’"
Working with fitness coach Jolanta Rusin, Kostyuk focused on explosive strength through speed, endurance, and precision drills. "I needed two years of work so my body can handle what we are doing right now," she noted. "And it’s not like everyone is going to see my strength or my power in the first week of the year. It’s something that we have just started building up, and it’s going to come in time."
Jacquemot now faces Yulia Putintseva in round two, while Kostyuk awaits updates on her ankle recovery. The 21-year-old reflected on the physical toll: "It’s hard. We played for more than three hours, and [Kostyuk is] a player that really loves to run. I really need to recover because it was a very long match."
