Kostyuk Ends Swiatek’s Roland Garros Title Bid as Upsets Reshape French Open Draw
Ukrainian 15th seed Marta Kostyuk defeated four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in the fourth round of the French Open on Sunday, May 31, eliminating the Polish third seed on her 25th birthday and reaching her first Roland Garros quarter-final. The defeat ended Swiatek’s bid for a fifth title at Roland Garros just when she had appeared to be rediscovering her form. Euro Weekly News
Swiatek’s exit comes amid a chaotic spell at Roland Garros in which men’s world number one Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, and defending women’s champion Coco Gauff all went out in the preceding three days. The wave of high-profile departures has left the draw open ahead of the quarter-finals. Ukrainska Pravda
There was little to separate the two players in the early exchanges, as they traded breaks twice before Kostyuk secured a tight hold in the 11th game and finished the set with a backhand crosscourt winner. It was the first time Kostyuk had taken a set off Swiatek after three successive defeats in previous meetings. Euro Weekly News
Kostyuk sensed the upset when she moved ahead 3-1 in the second set and held her nerve from there, closing out the match to extend her clay-court record this season to 15 wins from 15 matches. Swiatek’s unforced errors piled up across the second set as Kostyuk’s aggression repeatedly pushed her off her game. Euro Weekly News
“I’m still in shock,” Kostyuk said in her on-court interview. “I feel like I’ve given myself more space to just create something, to challenge my opponents. I woke up in the morning and all I thought was ‘what an unbelievable day I have to live today.'” Ukrainska Pravda
The result leaves world number one Aryna Sabalenka as favourite to claim her first Roland Garros title, though Kostyuk’s clay-season form places her among the genuine contenders heading into the last eight. Ukrainska Pravda
Kostyuk will next face either seventh-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina or 11th-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic in the quarter-final. A potential all-Ukrainian last-eight match-up between Kostyuk and Svitolina would be the first of its kind at a Grand Slam. Euro Weekly News
Regional and Global Impact
Kostyuk’s run carries wider resonance beyond the tournament result. The Ukrainian player has been one of the most outspoken voices on tour about the war in Ukraine and has previously refused to shake hands with Russian opponents in protest at what she has described as insufficient action by tennis governing bodies against Russian players. Her reaching a first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros — on a day she described as unbelievable from the moment she woke up — arrives as Ukraine continues to navigate an active war. Kostyuk’s clay-winning streak now stands at 16 matches, having won titles in Rouen and Madrid earlier this season. Travel And Tour World
For Swiatek, the defeat continues a difficult chapter. The Pole, who won four French Open titles between 2020 and 2024, has faced sustained scrutiny following a doping suspension in late 2024 and has not reached a Grand Slam final since. Sunday’s loss on her birthday, at a tournament where she has historically been dominant, confirmed that her grip on Roland Garros has loosened.
Background
Swiatek won the French Open in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, making her the most successful player at Roland Garros in the Open Era alongside Chris Evert among women. She did not defend her title in 2025 after serving a one-month ban following a positive test for trimetazidine, a heart medication, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted as contamination from a regulated supplement. Kostyuk, who turned 22 in 2026, has been ranked inside the top 20 since 2024 and reached the US Open semi-finals in 2025. The 2026 French Open began on May 25 at Roland Garros in Paris.
What Happens Next
Kostyuk plays either Svitolina or Bencic in the quarter-finals. Sabalenka, the world number one, remains the highest-ranked player left in the women’s draw and has not dropped a set in the tournament so far. On the men’s side, the draw has also opened significantly following the departures of Sinner and Djokovic. Quarter-final matches are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. No statement was issued by Swiatek or her team following the defeat as of Sunday afternoon. Euro Weekly News
