Marta Kostyuk sealed her maiden WTA 1000 title at the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open, after securing a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 victory over Mirra Andreeva. The 23-year-old Ukrainian surprised with an iconic celebration, a backflip that instantly went viral among tennis fandom, including former and current players. But for Kostyuk, the acrobatic display was far more than just a burst of joy; it was also a nod to her athletic history.
Martina Navratilova, Brad Gilbert, Eva Lys, and Others Praise Marta Kostyuk’s “Biggest Victory” as She Hits Career-High No. 15
The straight sets victory against Andreeva marked Kostyuk’s 12th consecutive win on clay this season. Kostyuk established early dominance by breaking Andreeva midway through the opening set, sealing it 6-3. The 19-year-old Russian fought back with a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Kostyuk’s resilience shone through. She secured the decisive break at 5-all, finishing with a 100% break point conversion rate (4 for 4) to claim her third ever WTA trophy.
To celebrate her massive win, Kostyuk casually executed a perfect backflip right there on the court. And tennis royalty immediately took to social media to praise both her tennis and her athletic skills.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS 🫢
Marta Kostyuk’s Madrid celebration is ICONIC 👑#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/17XXwyGDbz
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 2, 2026
Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova was absolutely floored by the display as she posted on X: “Amazing- what a tournament!!! Congrats! And the backflip???? Seriously??? Best celebration ever!!!”
Amazing- what a tournament!!! Congrats! And the backflip???? Seriously??? Best celebration ever!!! https://t.co/xD9MNCOWZz
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) May 2, 2026
However, the tense context of the final also came up, as Kostyuk maintained her stance of not shaking hands with Russian opponents due to the ongoing war in her home country, Ukraine. When a user named Johnny Bodine tweeted under her post, “Poor sportsmanship,” about Kostyuk, Navratilova replied:
“Has nothing to do with sportsmanship, try again.”
Legendary coach and tennis commentator Brad Gilbert pointed out the momentum Kostyuk has built up on the clay after securing back-to-back titles:
“Live WTA Ranking got to love the backflip celebration from Marta for the up to a career high 15 in the world after back to back titles @Tennis.”
Live WTA Ranking got to love ❤️ the backflip celebration 🎉 from Marta for the🏆 up to a career high 15 in the world 🌎 after back to back titles @Tennis https://t.co/kDZjBFx3FE
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) May 2, 2026
Former world No. 1 doubles player Rennae Stubbs, who had previously praised Kostyuk’s partnership with her coach Sandra Zaniewska, kept her message sweet:
“Huge congrats to @marta_kostyuk on her biggest victory yet! You’ve always been this good and now with all this hard work it’s paying off.”
Germany’s rising star Eva Lys was also watching the celebration closely and immediately flooded Kostyuk’s victory posts with hype, commenting, “YES” and “This is insane marta hahahha omg.”
But Lys also shared a photo of Kostyuk mid-air, upside down during her backflip, with a relatable caption:
“me when i see a spider on my leg @martakostyuk.”
As a child growing up in Ukraine, Kostyuk was a talented acrobat, even finishing fourth in the Ukrainian national championships and joining the national gymnastics team. She possesses springs for legs, and using her childhood acrobatics to celebrate tennis wins has become her signature move.
Reflecting on her journey to the podium after the match, Kostyuk said:
“It feels unbelievable to stand here right now. It took me many years to reach this point,” Kostyuk explained. “One word I think about right now is consistency. It’s showing up every day no matter how hard it is, no matter how much you love what you do. I’ve been doing that really well the past years, I think, so I’m very proud of myself and my team.”
Acknowledging her previous 2-7 record in the Spanish capital, she added with a smile, “I never, ever thought I would be able to lift the title here. It was not my favorite tournament for sure.”
MORE: ‘Very Emotional’ Mirra Andreeva, Marta Kostyuk Fuel Stubbs’ Crucial Coaching Advice to WTA Stars
However, while Kostyuk was flying through the air, Andreeva was seen on her courtside chair, crying into her towel. Despite the sadness of coming so close to her third WTA title, the 19-year-old showed grace during the trophy presentation.
“I would like to congratulate Marta and her team for the win today and for her season,” Andreeva said, acknowledging Kostyuk’s back-to-back titles after her recent triumph in Rouen. “You have won two tournaments in a row, so congrats.”
Both women will have little time to process the extreme highs and lows of the final. The WTA Tour shifts to the Italian Open, and with the updated rankings, Kostyuk is set to hit a career-high world No. 15, and Andreeva is projected to rise one spot to No. 7 in Monday’s rankings. The Russian can secure a crucial first-round bye in Italy.
