Marta Kostyuk Upsets Iga Świątek at French Open

The French Open saw a major upset as Iga Świątek, a four-time champion, was defeated by Marta Kostyuk. Świątek’s earliest loss at Roland Garros since 2019 took place in a match that demonstrated Kostyuk’s newfound prowess on clay.

Świątek, who had previously defeated Kostyuk in all their encounters, struggled with her serve and shot selection. She had opportunities to secure the opening set but allowed Kostyuk to break her serve twice. This affected her baseline game, leading to a 7-5, 6-1 defeat.

Kostyuk’s victory extended her winning streak on clay to 16 matches in 2026. This result marked another upset in the women’s draw following a series of unexpected results in the men’s tournament. Despite never having taken a set from Świątek before, Kostyuk, now 23, has been in remarkable form. She claimed her biggest career title at the Madrid Open earlier this month.

Marta Kostyuk expressed joy after her victory, saying, “I feel like I’ve given myself more space to create something, to challenge my opponents. The most important thing has been enjoying the game.”

The backdrop of Kostyuk’s triumph is poignant. Just before her first-round match at Roland Garros, a missile struck near her parents’ home in Kyiv. The emotional weight of the situation affected her, but she managed to perform under pressure.

Kostyuk’s advancement to her second Grand Slam quarterfinal, and first at the French Open, came after a strong performance against Świątek. She opened the match aggressively, breaking Świątek twice in the first set.

Świątek struggled with serving consistency and shot selection, which Kostyuk exploited by maintaining her composure and executing clean groundstrokes and sharp passing shots. Świątek acknowledged her difficulties in staying calm during longer rallies, an issue Kostyuk exposed during their encounter.

In the second set, Świątek briefly led but Kostyuk quickly overturned the deficit. Świątek attempted to regroup between sets, but Kostyuk’s relaxed demeanor on court and effective play secured her a place in the next round.