Marta Kostyuk withdraws hours before Mika Stojsavljevic match, Court 1 switch
mika stojsavljevic’s Queen’s match was moved from Andy Murray Arena to Court 1 after Marta Kostyuk withdrew hours before play because of a right ankle injury. Donna Vekic replaced Kostyuk as a lucky loser, and the reshuffle changed the day’s court order.
The tournament moved Stojsavljevic and Vekic to Court 1 instead of leaving the match on Andy Murray Arena. Tatjana Maria’s match with Maria Sakkari was upgraded to the main court.
Queen’s court reshuffle
Kostyuk had been drawn against the British wildcard. Her withdrawal came hours before she was due to play, leaving the tournament to adjust the schedule before the first ball was struck.
Stojsavljevic was one of four lower-ranked Brits given wildcards. That choice sat alongside the change to Maria’s path at the event, where the defending champion had won the tournament one year ago.
Tatjana Maria at Queen’s
Maria had to enter qualifying to reach this stage. She said, “It didn't feel [different to last year]. It feels almost like a normal tournament because I had to start over again in qualifying,” referring to her return after winning the event.
She also said, “Already what I did last year was amazing and to be a champion here, I thought I deserved a wildcard and to get a little bit of respect.” Maria added, “I did it last year. It was not five years ago. I was surprised when I got the message of [tournament director] Laura Robson saying all the wildcards would go to the British players, which I understand. But as a champion, it's tough for me.”
For spectators tracking the order of play, the practical change was immediate: Stojsavljevic’s match no longer sat on the main arena card, while Maria’s match with Sakkari moved up. The late withdrawal also put Vekic into the draw as a lucky loser, turning one scheduled matchup into two revised assignments on the same day.
That left the tournament with a changed centre-court lineup and a British wildcard still on Court 1, waiting to play under a revised schedule rather than the original arena slot.
