Every player who has gone 0-3 at the WTA Finals as Marta Kostyuk joins unwanted list which includes Coco Gauff

Marta Kostyuk did not have the WTA Finals debut that she would have been hoping for.

Kostyuk received a late call-up to play the WTA Finals this year after world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew for medical reasons, enabling the Ukrainian to make her debut at the year-end tournament.

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However, it did not go to plan for Kostyuk, who lost every set she played in her three-round robin matches against Linda Noskova, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, subsequently causing her to exit the tournament in disappointing fashion.

Kostyuk could have been joined by Karolina Muchova, who also lost her first two matches at the WTA Finals this year, but after the Czech was unable to play her final match in Indian Wells due to illness, she is the sole entrant into an unwanted list of players who have lost three matches at the year-end tournament.

Marta Kostyuk is the 17th player to be winless at the WTA Finals since 2000

The WTA Finals permanently reintroduced the round-robin format in 2003, and since then a total of 17 players have lost all three of their matches at this stage, including now Kostyuk.

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No players fell to this fate in 2003, but in 2004 both Vera Zvonareva and Elena Dementieva were winless in their three matches at the WTA Finals. This would never happen again to Zvonareva, but Dementieva would go on a 10-match losing streak at the WTA Finals and is the only player in history who has gone 0-3 at three editions of the event.

There are actually only three other players who have been winless at multiple editions of the WTA Finals, which come in the form of former world number one Jelena Jankovic, and multiple-time Grand Slam champions Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petra Kvitova.

Some of the other notable names on this list include Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Pegula and Gauff. Pegula and Gauff would both make their debuts at the WTA Finals in 2022, in singles, as well as together in doubles, but they would lose all six matches they played. Gauff has since gone on to win the WTA Finals title, having triumphed in Riyadh in 2024, which is something Kostyuk can take encouragement from.

Every edition of the WTA Finals since 2020, when the event was not held, has had one player in singles go winless in the round-robin stage, with the exception of the 2024 tournament, and now Kostyuk is the latest name on this list, which she will want to quickly forget.

Marta Kostyuk posts heartfelt message on social media as her 2026 season ends

While Kostyuk’s season has not ended in the way that she would have wanted it to have, it has still been a breakthrough year for the 24-year-old. This year, Kostyuk has won two titles, including her first WTA tournament victory at the Madrid Open, and has reached her first two Grand Slam semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

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This has enabled Kostyuk to become a top 10 player for the first time, and in an Instagram post the Ukrainian reflected on everything she has achieved this year, as well as the physical setbacks she has been through.

Kostyuk wrote, “2026, what a year. The most successful season of my career so far, and I couldn’t be more proud. Not just of this year, but of all the years of work that brought me here.

“Two titles, including my first WTA 1000 in Madrid and another in Rouen. Two Grand Slam semifinals and a spot in the top 10. Things I’ve dreamed of and worked towards for so long.

“But I think what makes me happiest is how much I’ve enjoyed the journey itself. I love the work, the challenge of getting better, trying new things and everything I get to learn about myself along the way. Even after playing tennis for most of my life, there’s still so much to discover and I think that’s what makes it so special to me.

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“It definitely wasn’t the easiest year physically. A lot of injuries, pain and missed tournaments, and days when I wasn’t sure when I’d be back on court. But even through all of that, I couldn’t wait to play again.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been part of this year. Especially @sandrazaniewska [Kostyuk’s coach – Sandra Zaniewska] and @zimaglia [Kostyuk’s physiotherapist – Claudio Zimaglia], who’ve been by my side through pretty much all of it. You’ve seen every possible version of me this season, and I know some were easier to deal with than others haha. Love you both.

“For now, I just want to soak it all in, be proud of where I am and enjoy it. And if 2027 could bring a little less pain and a lot more tennis, that would be great!”

Kostyuk received a lot of support on this post, including from the aforementioned Pegula, who wrote, “When you realize the journey is the dream, it makes everything much easier. Amazing year.”

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The world number 10 will now have some time to recover from her efforts in 2026, before Kostyuk hopes to make even more of an impact next year.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com