Tennis player plays Wimbledon match wearing wedding dress

'It was about being light, comfortable, free, feminine'

Marta Kostyuk, the number 18 seed, beat Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets yesterday in her first round game.

Kostyuk, who married her partner Heorhii Kyzymenko in 2023, walked down the aisle in a tennis dress designed with her sponsor Wilson.

Now, just a few months later, a second dress has been designed for her to play in.

Talking to reporters, she said: “The idea and the story behind this dress is, I think, by far one of the best in tennis. I don’t know if ever but for sure, right now.”

She arrived on court in the dress complete with a button-up overlay which she took off before the match began.

She told The Express: “It was about being light, comfortable, free, feminine. Everything that was in my wedding dress is the same in this tennis dress. The fact that you come on the court with this like over-dress and then you take it off, it’s so cool. It’s unbelievable.”

Kostyuk hopes it will inspire people to get married in the same dress as her after seeing her play in it.

“I want someone to see this dress and be like, Wow, I can actually get married in this dress that she’s playing in. And I think it will be cool if someone really thinks that.

“I will put this dress in a frame and hang it on the wall somewhere for sure.”

She went on to describe the occasion as one of the highlights of her life and career.

Meanwhile, Wilson’s head of design, Joelle Michaeloff told Vogue: “Her walkout will be with all the layers, and then she’ll remove this over-dress, which is exactly like the wedding dress in that there’s the five buttons down the front; I’ve made her a quick-release option so she can take it off fast. What’s underneath is basically the original dress, but with a built-in ball short in this one.”

Kostyuk will face Daria Saville in the next round later today.