There are strict rules about wearing white to compete at Wimbledon and one player decided to respect the dress code by wearing a replica of her wedding dress to compete.
Marta Kostyuk, 22, turned heads this morning when she arrived to compete with Australian Daria Saville, wearing a copy of her wedding dress, which was also designed by sportswear brand Wilson.
Marta was photographed preparing to jump into an action-packed match by unbuttoning her sheer white overlay, to reveal a tennis dress designed by her sponsor.
The sleeveless, plunging V-neckline, open-back gown is an exact replica of her wedding dress, with the same elegance and grace but tailored for athletic performance.
Marta Kostyuk turned heads this morning as she took to the vibrant green court to go head-to-head with Australian Daria Saville.
Her Wimbledon dress was inspired by the wedding dress she wore when she got married last November.
Marta married George Kyzymenko in Cyprus last November, and her Wimbledon dress serves as a touching tribute to the happy occasion.
Speaking to Fashion This month, 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 it ever was, but it certainly is now.”
The 22-year-old tennis player wore her brunette locks and blonde highlights in a low, sleek bun, with additional bobby pins to keep it moving during play.
She paired her look with simple yet elegant pearl earrings and her Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra silver bracelet.
Marta has known her husband since she was four years old and it seems that tennis has always been an important pillar in their relationship.
She told the outlet: ‘We were practicing at the same tennis club in kyiv when we were kids, but eventually he left for the US to study and I started playing professionally.
“We weren’t really in touch, but when I came back to Ukraine in 2022, he called me for a date and yeah, that was it.”
About five months later, George convinced her to go out and watch the sunrise one morning at a spot in kyiv overlooking the entire city.
Marta said it was strange that he wanted to get up early since “he likes to sleep late,” but she agreed.
The sleeveless, plunging V-neckline, open-back gown is an almost exact replica of her wedding dress, with the same elegance and grace but tailored for athletic performance.
Marta was photographed getting ready to jump into an action-packed match by unbuttoning her sheer white dress, revealing a stunning gown designed by Wilson.
Marta Kostyuk reacts on the court when she faces Daria Saville today
She was recording the picturesque views on her phone when she turned around and saw George on one knee, asking her to marry him.
The idea to use her wedding dress as inspiration for her tennis outfit came about when some of her friends and Wilson staff members were chatting about it.
Marta said: ‘We thought: ‘Why not be the first tennis brand to make a wedding dress?’
Her dress for the big day featured a similar sleeveless deep V-neck design, with the same floral-embroidered buttoned mesh overlay.
This comes after Kostyuk recently posed topless for the cover of Vogue Ukraine, in which she was celebrated by the magazine as Ukraine’s new tennis star and a rising influence in the sport.
Vogue Ukraine said the issue celebrates “legendary athletes and rising stars of national sports.”
The tennis star appears topless in the photo shoot, wearing only a white Intertop nylon skirt-shorts in a photo published in the issue.