Aryna Sabalenka addresses her bikini picture clapback as she issues brutal response to Marta Kostyuk's 'testosterone' claims

Aryna Sabalenka has taken a brutal swipe at Marta Kostyuk. Sabalenka's dig at the Ukrainian came on the back of the latter's controversial comments about the Belarusian earlier this year, through which she seemed to imply that the reigning World No. 1 and other elite WTA stars have higher testosterone levels. Controversial ATP star Nick Kyrgios also had his say on the matter.

Sabalenka and Kyrgios, set to clash against each other at the upcoming 'Battle of the Sexes' later this month in Dubai, recently featured as guests on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Morgan asked the four-time singles Major champion about her thoughts on Kostyuk's remarks.

Dismissing the Ukrainian's take, Aryna Sabalenka opined that Kostyuk appears quite strong herself but still loses to elite-level opposition who perhaps aren't as physically intimidating.

"That's so funny that we even talk about someone like Marta Kostyuk's comments but all I hear here is just excuses, and it's actually quite funny because she's a strong girl. She probably has more muscles than I do and she looks fit and strong and that's not the case in all of the matches she lost against top players," Sabalenka told Morgan.

Nick Kyrgios then chimed in, recalling how the graceful Roger Federer dominated against much bigger and more powerful opponents like John Isner and Ivo Karlovic.

"I'm trying to debunk that like, someone like John Isner or Ivo Karlovic was a fair bit bigger than Roger Federer but...," Kyrgios said.

Morgan then teased Sabalenka over some pictures she posted on Instagram after Kostyuk's comments, which featured the Belarusian showing off her body in a variety of bikinis. According to the World No. 1, this was a deliberate attempt from her to show Kostyuk "the real picture".

"Just wanted to make sure that she sees the real picture," Sabalenka said.

Marta Kostyuk winless against Aryna Sabalenka spanning four previous encounters

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2025 WTA Finals (Source: Getty)

Marta Kostyuk's controversial remarks stemmed from her own past losses to Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and other top WTA stars. The Ukrainian's head-to-head record against the Belarusian in particular is lopsided. The rivals' four past meetings have all gone Sabalenka's way.

Their maiden clash in 2022 in Dubai resulted in a 6-4, 6-1 win for the Belarusian. At next year's French Open, Sabalenka defeated Kostyuk 6-3, 6-2 in a first-round affair.

The Belarusian and Ukrainian's two most recent clashes came earlier this year, during the European claycourt swing. In the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, Kostyuk gave Sabalenka a tough fight, but it was still the latter who came out on top with a 7-6(4), 7-6(7) win. Next, in the Round of 16 at the Italian Open, the Belarusian registered a 6-1, 7-6(8) victory.