Marta Kostyuk caused a sensation by knocking out Swiatek and reached the quarter-finals of Roland Garros
This was reported by Suspilne Sport.
Kostyuk defeated one of the tournament favourites
Marta Kostyuk went into her Roland Garros 2026 round of 16 match on the back of a 15-match winning streak on clay. Since the start of the season, the Ukrainian has already won two titles on this surface — at the WTA 250 in Rouen and the WTA 1000 in Madrid. However, Kostyuk’s next opponent was one of the most successful tennis players of the modern era — world number three Iga Świątek. The players had met three times previously, with the Polish player emerging victorious in every match. What’s more, the Ukrainian had failed to win a single set against Swiatek. Their first meeting took place at Roland Garros in 2021, when Kostyuk reached the round of 16, which at the time was her best result at a Grand Slam tournament.
The match ended with a victory for the Ukrainian in two sets
The first set was a closely fought affair. Both players held their serves confidently until the end of the set, with the 12th game proving decisive, as Kostyuk converted a break point to win the set 7-5. In the second set, the Ukrainian played with much greater confidence. Despite losing the first game on her own serve, Kostyuk won the next six in a row and closed out the match 6-1.
What Kostyuk said after the match
After her victory, the Ukrainian admitted that she still cannot fully comprehend the result of the match.
“I’m still in shock. To beat a player who has won here four times and beaten me three times — it’s unbelievable. I can’t believe it,” Kostyuk said in a post-match interview.
The tennis player also emphasised that she tries to enjoy the game regardless of the result.
"I woke up this morning and thought what an incredible day lies ahead. I play tennis because I love it, not for the sake of winning," added the Ukrainian.
A historic achievement for Ukrainian tennis
Marta Kostyuk has become only the second Ukrainian tennis player to reach the quarter-finals of Roland Garros. Elina Svitolina was the first to achieve this, having reached this stage of the tournament five times — in 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2025. For Kostyuk herself, this will be the second Grand Slam quarter-final of her career. She reached this stage of a major for the first time at the 2024 Australian Open. The Ukrainian’s next opponent will be decided in the match between Elina Svitolina and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
What is known about her opponent?
Iga Świątek is one of the most successful tennis players in the history of Roland Garros. The Polish player has won the tournament in Paris four times and, prior to her match against Marta Kostyuk, had not lost a single set to the Ukrainian. The victory over Świątek was one of the most significant in the Ukrainian tennis player’s career.
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