Kostyuk is embracing her feelings and enjoying the moments

Marta Kostyuk is only 23, but she's been on the Hologic WTA Tour long enough to have perspective.

She turned pro back in 2016, and in the nine years that she's played professional tennis, she's learned that the journey is just as important as the result. Yes, everyone wants to win tournaments, but what's the point if you can't enjoy the process?

The Ukrainian is winning a lot these days, but she's also trying to be mindful about enjoying life on tour, and everything that comes with it.

"I've always worked until I was exhausted," the world No. 28 told Vogue Ukraine. "But now I've realized that it won't work that way. Our careers are quite short, so you need to live it with excitement, enjoy it, and not suffer and wait for it to end. I like how I'm playing now, what mood I'm in and how I enjoy my work."

Career trajectories can change in an instant, in many cases because of injury. Kostyuk had quite the injury scare this summer when she hurt her wrist and was forced to heartbreakingly retire from her quarterfinal match against Elena Rybakina in Montreal. (It was later revealed that she had a torn ligament in her hand.) The frustration continued the following week, when she withdrew from her match against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati.

She wasn't sure if she'd be able to play the US Open, but managed to recover in time and reached the fourth round in New York for the first time in her career.

The experience was another reaffirmation that there's so much emotion at play as a professional tennis player. The key is managing those emotions, keeping them in check and finding the strength to continue. It's also important to embrace and acknowledge them. That requires work, similar to how you'd train in the weight room or on court, and Kostyuk has leaned into it.

"All high-level players can play tennis," she told Vogue. "But your psyche decides a lot. ...I'm open to all emotions, both good and bad. It's a cool process of life. For me, the most valuable thing is to watch myself change, grow and develop."

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