Teodora Kostovic must be the most confident lower-ranked player. The 19-year-old from Serbia, a hopeful successor to Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, is making headlines for her self-belief. After losing to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the first round of Wimbledon, the teenager is already certain that their next meeting will end in her victory.
Making her Grand Slam main draw debut, Kostovic lost 6-2 6-3 to top seed Sabalenka in the first round of Wimbledon. After the match, the Belarusian couldn’t help but laugh at the the world No. 184’s confidence, saying: “I think she said that she wants to see if I can handle her power… so scary. It’s good that she has that self-belief, it’s a good thing to have.”
However, Kostovic, who describes herself as a big fighter and a player who absolutely never gives up in a match, remains unfazed. Speaking to Serbian media at Wimbledon, she stayed fully confident, adding that she is certain she will beat Sabalenka the next time they meet.
Commenting on Monday’s encounter with Sabalenka, Kostovic explained that she had her chances but unfortunately failed to convert them. However, she added:
I’ve shown that I can play with her and that it’s not some kind of ‘out-of-this-world’ tennis. I’ll keep working on myself, and next time I know I will beat her.
She also noted that the first shot makes a big difference against Sabalenka, especially on grass, so it should be aggressive. Kostovic said she was quite satisfied with her serve, though she believes it needs further improvement to properly challenge Sabalenka who is exceptional in that department.
As she explained, she feels she is a better player when the rally develops, and that this aspect of her game will be crucial in making a difference in future matches against top-level opponents.
Overall, Kostovic is happy with her progress so far this year. Her goal is to break into the Top 100 by the end of the season, having already climbed from No. 898 to No. 190 in 2025. She also hopes to go a step further by winning a couple of WTA titles.
Comments on the interview have been quite amusing. Readers mostly believe Kostovic should be way more modest. “Bro, Ana and Jelena never talked like this, even though they were at the very top,” one person wrote. “Next time she’ll beat her; she’s a better player when the rally develops,” another commenter wrote with a laughing emoji. “Respect for Teodora, I like that she has that mentality, but she’s a bit too high up in the clouds. Kid, you still have a lot of work to do before you get close to Sabalenka, so just be patient, train, learn, work on yourself, and maybe in a few years you’ll actually beat her.”
