Marta Kostyuk seems as if she has been around professional tennis for a decade or more, but she has only just turned 24 years old. This means she might just now be playing close to her best form over an extended period of time. She would need to continue to do that against Ashlyn Krueger in the fourth round of Wimbledon 2024.
Krueger is also just beginning to find her footing on the WTA. The 22-year-old American has the game to be successful at the grass-court major, as she is capable of serving well and moves around the court easily. But what she has previously lacked is the consistency of shot-making that her opponent has recently had.
This proved true in the first set, when Kostyuk overcame Krueger 6-4. While the Ukrainian struggled to land her first serve, doing so just 43 percent of the time, she won 75 percent of those points. She also faced only one break point.
Marta Kostyuk defeats Ashlyn Krueger to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2026
Meanwhile, Krueger, who did herself no favors with five winners but 12 unforced errors, landed 63 percent of her first serves but won 59 percent of those points. When the set was at its most stressful, the more poised Kostyuk was the one who came through.
The second set followed that trend, even though the American got a break midway through. Kostyuk, who is learning never to give up in matches, fought her way back from 204, getting two straight breaks of Krueger to take a 5-4 lead and the set and match on her racket.
To get into a position to take the match, after Ashlyn Krueger had hit a wicked forehand down the line, Kostyuk was able not only to chase down the ball but also to hit a cross-court shot that Krueger struggled to do anything with and hit the ball into the net. The next point was won easily by the Ukrainian, who took the set 6-4.
She moves into the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time in her career, having never even made the fourth round before. This comes after she reached the semifinals at the French Open for the first time, while also winning her first Masters 1000 event at the Madrid Masters earlier in 2026. She will next play the winner of the Alexandra Eala and Jasmine Paolini match.
