By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, Might 31, 2026
Photograph credit score: Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty
Banging a backhand move crosscourt to grab the primary set, Marta Kostyuk celebrated smiling and swaying as if transferring to music in her thoughts.
A artistic Kostyuk danced throughout Iga Swiatek’s protection high-stepping into her maiden Roland Garros quarterfinal with a 7-5, 6-1 thrashing right this moment.
It was Swiatek’s twenty fifth birthday, however Kostyuk turned this conflict into her personal dance occasion. Charging by means of 9 of the final 10 video games, Kostyuk scored a surprising sweep snapping Swiatek’s streak of six straight Roland Garros quarterfinals and 6 consecutive Slam quarterfinals.
“For certain it wasn’t an excellent day within the workplace,” Swiatek mentioned. “Many issues, , I may handle a bit
higher, nevertheless it was tremendous robust for me right this moment to maintain the extent that I needed to.
“Clearly at this stage, , any opponent, like, within the fourth spherical, already performed couple of matches, will use the chance.”
Although four-time French Open champion Swiatek has a well-earned status as clay queen, Kostyuk has cleaned up on filth as the one undefeated lady on clay this season with an ideal 15-0 Tour-level file on terre battue. If you happen to embrace Kostyuk’s win for Ukraine within the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier, she’s 16-0 on clay this 12 months, which is one of the best filth begin to a season since Swiatek gained her first 18 clay matches of the 2022 season.
“I feel lots of issues clicked this 12 months on clay too, and in Madrid, which was additionally not my greatest event,” Kostyuk mentioned. “Yeah, it’s an excellent feeling. I feel I simply give myself extra space.
“I’m having fun with extra, simply creating factors, coping with challenges, studying navigate the troublesome
conditions within the matches. I’ve been doing it effectively, so pleased with that.”
The Fifteenth-seeded Ukrainian coated the courtroom fluidly and struck with conviction, bettering to 21-4 on the season along with her first profession win over former No. 1 Swiatek.
All-court acrobat Kostyuk clipped Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 within the Mutua Madrid Open last then celebrated with a superb again flip earlier this month.
MORE: Sandra Zaniewska, Marta Kostyuk’s Coach, Talks to Tennis Now
Right now, Kostyuk utterly flipped the draw open practically doubling Swiatek’s winner output—25 to 13—and punishing the Pole’s serve changing six of 9 break factors.
Although she carried an imposing 43-3 Roland Garros file into this Courtroom Philippe Chatrier conflict, Swiatek shrunk as Kostyuk attacked her second serve and forehand handing the four-time champion her earliest exit since she misplaced to Simona Halep within the 2019 fourth spherical.
Afterward, Swiatek shared stress contributed to her second-set collapse.
“I do know that I misplaced as a result of I used to be tense, and my physique couldn’t actually do what my physique… the
correct issues, , nevertheless it’s not the primary time, as effectively,” Swiatek mentioned. “So, yeah, simply have to work on it. Truthfully, like, for me, perhaps the hardest loss is while you had the match in your palms, however I don’t know, you made silly choices and also you let it go and your opponent immediately comes again. It’s additionally dangerous when your tennis is simply horrible, and that you just have been worse than the gamers that you just play with.
“However I really feel, like, for certain I misplaced right this moment as a result of Marta used the chance, and I used to be tremendous tense. I really feel like I can work on that, at the least, and there’s a cause, and there may be perhaps an answer. Perhaps it’s not going to take one week or one month. Perhaps it’s going to take even a season or one thing, however I have to consider that I can work by means of this and never be thrown off so shortly.”
In a event of upsets, this match is a milestone. The consequence, which comes 24 hours after Anastasia Potapova dethroned reigning Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff in a three-set thriller, ensures we’ll see a maiden French Open champion topped six days from now.
The Fifteenth-seeded Kostyuk will face both seventh-seeded Ukrainian compatriot Elina Svitolina or Eleventh-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic for a semifinal spot.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek broke at 30 for a 4-3 lead solely to see Kostyuk break again at like to forge a 4-all tie.
The third-seeded Swiatek broke once more and served for a one-set lead at 5-4.
Pouncing from a low crouch contained in the baseline, Kostyuk crunched deep returns breaking again to stage after 10 video games.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian got here by means of a demanding 10-point maintain for a 6-5 lead.
Casting nervous glances towards her field, Swiatek regarded shaken by Kostyuk’s sniper returns.
Then Kostyuk stepped in and torched a two-handed backhand crosscourt capping the primary set with a bang and inciting her spontaneous dance celebration.
As Swiatek left the courtroom to attempt to reset, Kostyuk consulted with coach Sandra Zaniewska and continued her all-court assault.
Chomping on her Wilson racquet after a irritating, Kostyuk confirmed chew on her serve, blasting an ace to finish a hard-fought maintain for a 2-1 lead after 85 minutes.
A leaping Kostyuk torched a forehand winner down the road scoring the love break with a bang for 3-1.
Throughout the web, Swiatek wore a glance of despondency and already appeared out of solutions.
Then a brave Kostyuk got here face-to-face with Swiatek at internet. The Ukrainian made two stab volleys earlier than Swiatek flubbed a brief forehand. Kostyuk tore by means of 11 factors in a row stretching her result in 4-1.
Driving the four-time champion again with one other crackling return, Kostyuk drew a wild forehand reply breaking serve for the sixth time for a 7-5, 5-1 lead.
Zapping one last serve down the center, Kostyuk coaxed an errant return wrapping up considered one of her best profession moments and persevering with her good clay marketing campaign.
The 23-year-old Kostyuk, considered one of Tennis Now’s Roland Garros Dark Horse picks earlier than this event started, shed tears following her French Open first-round win.
An emotional Kostyuk shared the story of a frightening missile attack on her native Ukraine. A rocket destroyed a constructing about 100 meters from her mother and father’ dwelling in Ukraine leaving Kostyuk breaking down in tears earlier than the match.
Dancing throughout Swiatek’s protection right this moment, a assured Kostyuk now stands one win from a maiden main semifinal.
