2 hours ago
7
One half of a doubles pairing dubbed tennis' 'most beautiful' has linked up with a new partner social media believes could yet rival the initial team to compete at this year's Wuhan Open.
Serbian-born Olga Danilovic caused a viral stir when she paired up with Russia's Anastasia Potapova at this year's French Open.
The players - who are ranked world Nos 42 and 51 respectively - were lauded by fans on the internet for their complementary blonde and brunette looks, with Danilovic sharing on Instagram that she had 'loved' the 'brunette-blondie energy' their pairing had created.
While the success of their partnership at attracting social media attention did not translate into wins, with the pair exiting in the second round of the Grand Slam to Alexandra Eala and Renata Zarazua, their friendship endured.
Danilovic and Potapova planned to team up for a second time this year at Wimbledon, but the latter player was forced to withdraw from both singles and doubles in SW19 just hours before competition started.
The duo then returned to the court later this summer at the Cincinnati Open, where they fell in the opening round to doubles supremos Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.
Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova (right) were unable to team up in doubles at this year's Wuhan Open
The duo - dubbed the 'world's most beautiful team' - paired up at the Australian Open and French Open this year
Both Danilovic and Potapova have continued to supplement their busy singles schedules with doubles as the season has continued.
But in Wuhan this week, the Serbian press were quick to notice that Danilovic's latest partner could pull focus from her earlier pairing with the 24-year-old.
During her time in China, Danilovic has opted to partner Marta Kostyuk, a similarly talented young Ukrainian player ranked 26th in the world.
But for those less familiar with the ins and outs of the tour, Kostyuk might be most recognisable for her choice of outfit at last year's Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old - who is sponsored by Wilson - sported a dress modelled on the gown she had been married in the previous year, which had also been designed by the label.
Fans gushed over the stylish design of the tennis dress, which was then available to purchase as the 'Marta' for £235.
On the eve of the 2024 tournament, Kostyuk had taken the decision to pose topless for Vogue Ukraine in a feature about the country's top athletes ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Kostyuk has been an outspoken supporter of the nation's ongoing fight against Russian aggression, taking part in the tour-wide gesture of refusing to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus.
Ukrainian rising star Marta Kostyuk has instead stepped up to play with Danilovic in China
The 23-year-old has been ranked as high as world No 16 and has one singles title to her name
The Ukrainian star was praised by fans for her stylish tennis dress at last year's Wimbledon
On the eve of that tournament Kostyuk posed topless in her native Ukraine in a Vogue spread dedicated to Olympic athletes
At this year's Italian Open, Kostyuk was applauded off the court by her opponent Aryna Sabalenka after she had snubbed her handshake.
But Kostyuk and Danilovic were unable to parlay their new partnership into results, with the pair knocked out in their first-round match.
Drawn against the tournament's sixth seeds Alexandra Panova and Guo Hanyu, Danilovic and Kostyuk were despatched in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.
Both singles players were similarly disappointed in their opening matches at the swelteringly hot tournament, with Kostyuk falling to Karolina Muchova and Danilovic to Clara Tauson.
With her season at its end, Kostyuk cut a downcast figure after her early exit in Wuhan, lamenting how she felt she had failed to meet her potential in 2025.
'This is my last tournament of the year, and here you start thinking about everything you have done over the months and if you could have done it better,' Kostyuk said on Tuesday.
'This year I have evolved a lot off the court in how I do things and face life, but I feel like I hit a wall many times. I lost many matches against top 10 players, especially in Grand Slam tournaments. I reached far in all of them and just couldn't overcome those great players.'
'Most of the time I was very close, and as the year ends, it has been frustrating. I had a very consistent year, and that is a good sign, but overall, I feel like I lacked taking the final two steps to surpass these players. It requires patience and waiting for everything to turn in your favor, and I think it will happen.
Kostyuk ended her season on the heels of an early exit in Wuhan in both singles and doubles
Danilovic - who is in a relationship with Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak - was similarly thwarted in Wuhan
Meanwhile, Potapova wrapped up her campaign early in a bid to fix a persistent wrist injury
'This year has many positives, but I had some struggles with injuries and somehow found a way to push through and play. Overall, it was a good year, but I ended up where I am, and certainly, it was not good enough for me.'
Potapova meanwhile was forced to prematurely end her season on the heels of the China Open last week, after struggling with a persistent wrist injury since mid-summer.
'Unfortunately, I had to withdraw from the last two tournaments of this season due to an injury I sustained in Montreal of this year,' Potapova shared on social media.
'I might not have shown it, but persistent pain in my right wrist has been constant since then. My team and I decided to take a bit more time this year to try and heal all injuries so that next year can be full and successful.
'As practice has shown, even with a compromised training process (due to injuries), I can compete at the highest level. See you in 2026!'
