Marta Kostyuk and Anastasia Potapova are set to clash in the semifinal of the WTA 1000 event in Madrid on Thursday, April 30. The Russian-Austrian star made history by becoming the first lucky loser to reach the semifinal at this level. Before they step foot on the court for an intense battle, let’s take a look at their partners who will be supporting them from the stands.
Who is Marta Kostyuk’s husband, George Kyzymenko?
Kostyuk is married to George Kyzymenko, and the couple has been together since October 2022. They have known each other since they were children, as they first met in Ukraine while playing tennis. Kyzymenko proposed to the World No. 23 back in April 2023, and they tied the knot in Cyprus on November 1 of the same year.
Kyzymenko is around five years older than Kostyuk. After their first meeting in Kyiv’s tennis club, he went off to the US for studies. He contacted the Ukrainian after she returned to her home country and asked her out on a date; she said yes, which led to the proposal and the eventual marriage.
Kostyuk described the sweet proposal in an interview with Vogue, saying, “We just woke up together, and he was like, ‘Let’s go watch the sunrise.’ It was very weird because usually he likes to sleep in, but I had just come back from the US and was so jetlagged I was barely sleeping, so I was like, ‘Okay, let’s go,'” she recalled.
Adding to this, she said, “It was really beautiful; we went to this place in Kyiv where you can really see the whole city, and I was recording something on video, and as I turned around, he was there on his knee.”
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz’s Brother Jaime Spotted Watching Jannik Sinner at Madrid Open
Interestingly, the couple’s wedding dress was made by Kostyuk’s clothing sponsor, Wilson, who later designed her Wimbledon 2024 outfit inspired by it, named “The Marta Dress.” Wearing this special outfit, the Ukrainian matched her 2023 performance, reaching the third round at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
Who is Anastasia Potapova’s Boyfriend?
Potapova is currently dating the Dutch professional player Tallon Griekspoor, who was present for the latter stages of her quarterfinal match. The Austrian faced Karolína Plíšková to reach her first WTA 1000 semifinal, creating history. During her on-court interview after the win, Potapova credited Griekspoor for his support, saying,
“I was a little bit gone mentally in the third set. I didn’t believe in myself at that moment. Big respect to my boyfriend who came just in time. He kept telling me, ‘You can do this; we’re all together here; just keep going.’ In the 3rd set it was most of his job to win this. I just played, and mentally he just kept me there.”
Griekspoor, ranked No. 33, crashed out of the tournament with a loss to Lorenzo Musetti in singles. Meanwhile, Jan Zieliński and Luke Johnson beat him and Brandon Nakashima in doubles.
The couple was spotted together for the first time in early 2025, sparking rumors of their relationship, which Potapova later confirmed. However, before Griekspoor, she was married to the professional player Alexander Shevchenko, but the couple divorced in late 2024.
They had represented Russia on the tour level and started dating in 2022, getting married a year later. However, right after the 2024 US Open, they quietly ended their marriage, with Potapova wishing Shevchenko the best of luck while stating that they had problems.
Last year, she switched her nationality to Austria amid the ongoing issues faced by Russian and Belarusian players. Shevchenko, who was also born in Russia, chose to represent Kazakhstan starting from 2024.
On the tennis side of things, Kostyuk, the 26th seed, defeated Yulia Putintseva, Jessica Pegula, Caty McNally, and Linda Nosková in straight sets to set up this semifinal match. After a runner-up finish in Brisbane and a title run at the Open de Rouen, the Ukrainian will look forward to reaching the final and lifting her second title of the year.
Potapova, on the other hand, had a tough start to the season but reached the final of the Linz Open, losing to Mirra Andreeva. In Madrid, she was defeated in her second qualifying match, but after Madison Keys’ withdrawal, she was called in to the main draw as a lucky loser, earning a direct second-round spot.
The Austrian defeated Zhang Shuai, Jeļena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina, and Plíšková to set up this clash. She would like to deliver a historic run at the venue, possibly lifting the title. However, PFSN’s exclusive interactive simulator predicts it won’t be that easy for her, as Kostyuk has a 71% chance of advancing to the title clash against Mirra Andreeva.
