Marta Kostyuk vs Veronika Erjavec

WTA Wimbledon – 1st Round
Marta Kostyuk vs Veronika Erjavec

🧠 Form & Context

• Marta Kostyuk
  ⛔ Cold grass swing: Two straight-set losses to Emma Navarro (Berlin, Bad Homburg) leave her winless on grass in 2025.
  📉 Losing streak: Hasn’t won a match since May 11 in Rome (R3 vs Fernandez).
  📈 Still solid season: QFs in Doha and Madrid, and third-round runs at AO, IW, Miami, and Rome have kept her inside the top 30.
  🌱 Wimbledon consistency: Reached R3 in both 2023 and 2024; holds a 4–0 record in Wimbledon R1 matches.
  📊 Ranking edge: World No. 26 and a former top-20 player with far more high-level experience than her opponent.
• Veronika Erjavec
  🚪 Main draw breakthrough: Only her second-ever WTA main draw appearance, both coming via Grand Slam qualifying.
  🎾 Grass breakthrough: Went 3–0 in Roehampton qualies, her first-ever wins on grass at any level.
  🔄 Journeyman campaign: Mostly active on the ITF circuit in 2025, with her ranking sliding to 171 after peaking at 141 in March.
  💪 Gritty style: Has gone the distance in 8 of her last 15 matches—tough competitor but light on weapons.
  🎓 Learning curve: Lost 7–5, 7–6 in her only previous Slam MD match (AO 2025 vs Suzan Lamens).

🔍 Match Breakdown

Kostyuk is clearly out of rhythm on grass but still has the tools to dismantle a player like Erjavec—big hitting, strong serve, and the ability to redirect pace. Her issue has been poor starts and early mental lapses.

Erjavec is steady from the baseline and fights well but lacks the athletic explosiveness or shot tolerance to trouble someone like Kostyuk unless the Ukrainian helps her with errors.

This match is more about whether Kostyuk can stabilize her game and avoid the kind of passive stretches that doomed her against Navarro. If she brings even 70% of her Madrid or Miami level, this should be one-way traffic.

That said, if Kostyuk starts slow and Erjavec keeps it scrappy, the Slovenian might cover a large handicap, especially in a set.

🔮 Prediction

Kostyuk badly needs a win to arrest her slump, and this draw couldn’t be more generous. Expect a focused effort and a fairly clean win, though one tight set wouldn’t be surprising.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 2 sets, but look out for a +5.5 games handicap cover by Erjavec if Marta drifts mentally at any point.