Ukrainian derby at Roland Garros: Svitolina and Kostyuk head-to-head history
Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina (photo: instagram.com/martakostyuk)
For the first time in the history of the French Open, spectators will see an all-Ukrainian clash in the quarterfinals. Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk will face each other in a decisive match for a place in the semifinal of the clay-court Grand Slam.
RBC-Ukraine recalls how events unfolded in their previous head-to-head meetings between the two leading stars of Ukrainian tennis.
Parity on hard courts
The quarterfinal match in Paris between the first and second-ranked Ukrainian players will take place on Tuesday, June 2. The start is not earlier than 12:00 Kyiv time.
So far, the two tennis players have met only twice in official WTA matches — both on hard courts. Their head-to-head record is currently tied at 1–1.
A generational battle in Melbourne (Australian Open 2018)
Their first encounter was a real sensation. In January 2018, 15-year-old Kostyuk shocked the tennis world by reaching the third round of the Australian Grand Slam. There, she faced Ukraine’s top-ranked player, Svitolina.
The experienced Elina gave her young compatriot no chance, confidently closing the match in straight sets — 6–2, 6–2. At the time, the match was seen as a passing of experience from the national leader to a future star.
Canadian rematch (Toronto 2024)
It took more than six years for the next head-to-head encounter. They met in the summer of 2024 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto in the round of 32.
By that time, Kostyuk had already established herself as a top-level player, and the match turned out to be completely balanced. This time, it was Marta who came out on top, managing to take a “mirror revenge” in three sets — 6–2, 2–6, 6–2.
In addition, in December 2025, the Ukrainian players played a shortened match at the exhibition World Tennis League tournament. That time, the only set went to Svitolina, 7–5.
Road to the historic Paris quarterfinal
Both tennis players arrived at this Roland Garros in fantastic form, causing a real sensation in the fourth round:
Kostyuk (WTA 15) produced the biggest upset of the tournament, knocking out world No. 3 and four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Świątek of Poland. For Marta, this is her first-ever career quarterfinal on the courts of Paris.
Svitolina (WTA 7) showed her trademark fighting spirit, securing a comeback victory over Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic (WTA 11) — 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. For Elina, this is already her sixth French Open quarterfinal.
Ukrainian derby at Roland Garros
The clay court surface will become a new stage in the Svitolina–Kostyuk rivalry. Whoever wins this match, Ukraine is guaranteed to have a representative in the Roland Garros semifinal, which is already a huge achievement for Ukrainian sport.
