Wedding dress from Wimbledon! A tennis player poses topless ahead of a competition and then wears a duplicate of her wedding dress on court
Tennis player Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine will dress unconventionally as she gets ready for her Wimbledon second-round match on Thursday: she will wear her wedding gown.
Even more striking than the world No. 19’s commanding performance in defeating Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramakova in straight sets in the first round, was her Wilson tennis dress—a plain white gown with a plunging neckline, a flared skirt, and a cutout at the back.
However, Kostyuk had already made headlines for wearing the dress—albeit in a more elaborate fashion—on her wedding day when, after signing with the tennis company in January 2023, she decided to design her bridal outfit.
As the first-ever head-to-toe brand ambassador for Wilson, Kostyuk collaborated with the brand to create the ensemble for her special day, including an embroidered sheer overlay into her go-to Wimbledon costume.
The 22-year-old revealed that she had no idea what kind of dress she wanted to wear when she started the process, so her concept for the design came from her need to feel free-flowing and comfortable on her wedding day.
«I believe that many girls have a clear vision of how they want their wedding dress to look, but I wasn’t sure what I liked or what I wanted,» Kostyuk said in an interview with Vogue.
«I wanted something very straightforward, but memorable at the same time.» I simply knew that I didn’t want a 200-kg bridal gown or anything else that was so intricate or delicate that it would be impossible for me to move and enjoy social situations.
I believe this dress’s concept and backstory to be among the best in the tennis world. I’m not sure when, but right now, for sure.
After initially becoming friends as children, Kostyuk married her current spouse, George Kyzymenko, in Cyprus in November of last year.
However, the athlete will now be able to witness throngs of amateurs and admirers wearing the gown she donned on her special day.
Wilson has branded the dress as the «Marta,» with a suggested retail price of £155 (or £235 if the sheer overlay with covered buttons at the waist is bought).
According to Kostyuk, through Wilson, «the kit is the same as the wedding dress; it is about being light, comfortable, feminine, and beautiful.
«I spend my life both on and off the court, therefore everything that was in my wedding dress is also in my tennis dress.
Before the competition began, Kostyuk drew attention after being included in Vogue Ukraine’s presentation of Ukrainian athletes competing in the summer Olympics in Paris.
In this French capital, Kostyuk will compete in the women’s singles along with her countrymen Elina Svitolina, Anhelina Kalinina, and Dayana Yamstremska. In the doubles, Kostyuk will team up with Yamstremska.
The Olympic rookie, dressed in a white tennis skirt, posed nude for a picture in SW19 on the eve of the competition.
