Kostyuk defeats Svitolina at Roland Garros: Next controversial rival revealed
Marta Kostyuk (photo: Getty Images)
Marta Kostyuk has reached the Roland Garros semifinals for the first time in Ukraine’s history. In a fierce three-set all-Ukrainian derby, the 23-year-old from Kyiv defeated the highly decorated Elina Svitolina.
On Tuesday, June 2, a unique and historic moment for Ukrainian sport took place on the courts of Paris.
The country’s two best tennis players faced each other for a place in the semifinals of the French Open.
In a highly tense match, Marta Kostyuk defeated Elina Svitolina and became the first Ukrainian in history to reach the women’s semifinal of this clay-court Grand Slam.
Three sets of intense drama: how the Ukrainian derby unfolded
The match on the main Philippe Chatrier court lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes. The players delivered a true rollercoaster of emotions:
First set: Kostyuk immediately took control, winning three games in a row. Despite Svitolina’s attempts to catch up, Marta confidently closed the set — 6:3.
Second set: Elina responded in kind, taking a 3:0 lead. In a hard-fought eighth game, Svitolina finally converted her fourth break point opportunity to close the set — 6:2 in favor of the former Ukrainian No. 1.
Decisive set: The Ukrainian players started with a nervous exchange of games, but toward the end, Kostyuk stepped up the intensity, winning the last four games in a row to secure a historic victory — 6:2.
Thanks to this win, Kostyuk extended her incredible clay-court winning streak to 17 consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Svitolina’s winning streak ended at 10 matches. She has now exited the Roland Garros quarterfinal stage for the sixth time in her career.
Next match — a battle for a Grand Slam final against a neutral player
Before reaching the quarterfinals, Kostyuk had an outstanding tournament run, sensationally defeating four-time Paris champion Iga Świątek along the way.
In the next round, the first Ukrainian Roland Garros 2026 semifinalist will face a highly anticipated clash.
Marta Kostyuk will play her third head-to-head match against world No. 8, the “neutral” Mirra Andreeva, who demolished Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea in her quarterfinal (6:0, 6:3).
Statistics favor the Ukrainian: in 2026, Kostyuk has already defeated Andreeva twice — in Brisbane and in the triumphant Madrid WTA 1000 final, which became the biggest victory in Ukrainian tennis in the past seven years.
Earlier, it was reported that Svitolina, Kostyuk, and a sensational debutant would compete in the 2026 Wimbledon main draw.
