Marta Kostyuk Served a Reality Check by Aryna Sabalenka: “It’s Just Excuses”

If you thought the tennis world was all polite applause, strawberries and cream, and hushed silence, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to the absolute soap opera unfolding off the court lately. While everyone is gearing up for the so-called “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios in Dubai, the real fireworks are happening in the press.

Sabalenka recently sat down with Piers Morgan (because of course it was Piers Morgan) and she didn’t just return serves; she smashed a few overheads right back at Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk. Grab your popcorn, because the drama involving Kostyuk and her theories on why she keeps losing to top players is getting spicier than a jalapeño popper.

The “Testosterone” Excuse That Started It All

Let’s rewind a bit to understand why we are even talking about biology in the first place. Back in October, Marta Kostyuk gave an interview that raised more eyebrows than a botched Botox job. She basically claimed that the reason she struggles against top-tier titans like Sabalenka and Iga Świątek isn’t because of skill issues or tactical errors, but because of… biology.

Kostyuk argued that players like Sabalenka are “much bigger,” “much stronger,” and implied they have higher testosterone levels. She was careful to say they “don’t take anything” (dodging a defamation lawsuit like a pro), but the implication was clear: I’m losing because they are biologically built different, not because I need to practice my backhand.

It’s the ultimate “it’s not me, it’s you” breakup line, but applied to professional sports. And honestly? It feels a little cheap. When you start blaming your opponent’s natural body composition for your losses, you’re walking a very thin line between analysis and sour grapes.

Sabalenka Calls Bluff on Kostyuk’s Muscle Theory

Naturally, Sabalenka wasn’t going to let that slide. On Piers Morgan Uncensored, she addressed the Kostyuk comments with the kind of blunt honesty we’ve come to expect from the Belarusian powerhouse.

“That is so funny that we even talk about someone like Marta Kostyuk’s comments,” Sabalenka laughed, effectively dismissing the entire premise as ridiculous. She then went for the jugular, pointing out the glaring irony in Kostyuk’s complaint.

“She is a strong girl,” Sabalenka noted. “She probably has more muscles than I do, and she looks fit and strong.” Ouch. That is a polite way of saying, Have you looked in a mirror lately? Sabalenka’s point is solid: Kostyuk is an incredible athlete in her own right. Pretending that she is some frail underdog fighting against biological Goliaths is a narrative that just doesn’t hold water.

Sabalenka summed it up perfectly: “All I hear here is just excuses.” And she’s right. In sports, someone is always going to be taller, faster, or stronger. Roger Federer didn’t cry about Ivo Karlović being a giant; he just found a way to beat him.

Biology, Fairness, and the Trans Debate

The conversation didn’t stop at Kostyuk, though. Because it’s 2025 and we can’t have a simple sports interview without diving into culture war territory, the topic shifted to transgender inclusion in sports.

Sabalenka tried to walk the tightrope here. She started with the classic “I have nothing against them” disclaimer but firmly landed on the side of protecting cis women’s sports. She argued that biological males have a “huge advantage” and that it “isn’t fair” for a woman who has worked her whole life to reach her limit to face someone biologically stronger.

It’s a tricky, heated debate, but it strangely ties back to the Kostyuk drama. If we are obsessed with “biological advantages” between cis women (like Kostyuk claiming Sabalenka has natural testosterone advantages), the conversation about trans athletes becomes even more complicated. It seems Sabalenka draws the line at biological males, but has zero patience for cis women complaining about other cis women’s genetics.

The Nick Kyrgios Cameo Nobody Asked For

Sitting right there for this entire exchange was none other than tennis’s bad boy, Nick Kyrgios. He’s set to play Sabalenka in Dubai on December 28, and he couldn’t resist chiming in.

Kyrgios pointed out the obvious: physical differences are literally the name of the game. “Someone like John Isner… was a fair bit bigger than Roger Federer,” he noted. You didn’t see Federer blaming his testosterone levels. You saw him adapting.

It’s rare that Nick Kyrgios is the voice of reason in the room, but here we are. The reality is that sports have never been “fair” in the sense that everyone has the exact same body. Shaq was bigger than everyone else in the NBA. Usain Bolt had better fast-twitch muscle fibers. That’s not unfair; that’s just the genetic lottery.

Why This Drama Matters

At the end of the day, this back-and-forth between Sabalenka and Kostyuk highlights a shift in how athletes handle defeat. There is a growing trend of looking for external factors to explain a loss rather than looking inward.

Sabalenka’s response was necessary. By calling Kostyuk’s comments “excuses,” she’s reminding the tour that mental fortitude is just as important as physical strength. You can spend all day wishing you were taller or had broader shoulders, or you can get out on the court and figure out how to win with the cards you were dealt.

As for Kostyuk, maybe it’s time to hit the gym—or the practice courts—instead of the interview room.