WIMBLEDON STAR IS PLAYING IN HER WEDDING DRESS AND WON FIRST MATCH

Fashion is a key element at Wimbledon, with both players and spectators showcasing their tennis-inspired outfits during the two-week Championships. However, one player is elevating her style game this year by donning a remake of her custom wedding dress on the court.

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Marta Kostyuk has been gifted a unique Wilson outfit, dubbed 'The Marta', which draws inspiration from the full-length gown she wore at her wedding. The world's 19th-ranked player tied the knot with her partner George Heorhii last year in what she described as "the most technical wedding dress ever" - a creation she designed in collaboration with her tennis clothing sponsor, Wilson.

This was an unconventional choice given that Wilson is primarily recognized for its rackets and sports equipment. They took things up a notch at SW19 this year, transforming the wedding dress into Kostyuk's match attire.

The Ukrainian stepped onto the court for her first round in a v-neck, open-back, white dress with a button-up overlay that she removed for play. The outfit closely mirrored the gown she wore at her wedding last November, which featured the same dress underneath a full-length, organza overlay embellished with flowers.

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"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," Kostyuk said about her Wimbledon ensemble.

"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."

Now aged 22, she hopes to inspire brides with her unique tennis attire. She shared: "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. Definitely will be one of the highlights of my life and my career, what else can you ask for? " Joelle Michaeloff, who co-designed both versions of the dress with Kostyuk, elaborated on how similar the Wimbledon dress was to the original wedding gown.

Joelle Michaeloff, head of design at Wilson, elaborated further in an interview with Vogue. "We kept the mini-overlayer dress, which buttons off," she explained.

"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."

Michaeloff went on to detail the additional adjustments made for the tennis version of the dress. "What's underneath is basically the original dress, but with a built-in ball short in this one. Basically, we added an underlayer component and then raised the neckline a little bit - we don't want any mistakes in Wimbledon."

The dress has already proven to be a good luck charm for Kostyuk, who triumphed over Rebecca Sramkova 6-3 6-2 in the first round. She will be hoping for the same outcome when she squares off against Daria Saville on Wednesday.

2024-07-03T17:17:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd