An emotional Marta Kostyuk dedicated her victory over compatriot Elina Svitolina to the people of Ukraine after advancing to her first Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open. Kostyuk, 23, became the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semi-finals of Roland Garros by winning the final four games of the match to beat her idol Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
Kostyuk has now won 17 matches in a row and remains unbeaten on clay this season. Her opening match in Paris came after a missile strike narrowly missed her parents' home in Kyiv. A first Ukrainian semi-finalist was guaranteed as Kostyuk faced Svitolina, the seventh seed. Last night, at least 18 people were killed in Ukraine after Russia launched a large aerial strike, one of the largest of the four-year war.
“We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, so many people dead, and I want to give this match to the Ukrainian people and to their resilience,” a visibly upset Kostyuk said. “And of course I want to point out Elina and her incredible impact on Ukrainian tennis, on Ukrainians, and on me and everyone who's watching. She's an unbelievable fighter, and I'm so happy to be through the semi-finals, but I want to thank her again for this incredible match.”
Svitolina, 31, lost her sixth French Open quarter-final after Kostyuk surged clear in the decider to set up a semi-final against Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, the eighth seed. Svitolina has been a leading light for Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in 2022, reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
Both players arrived in Paris after winning major titles on clay; Kostyuk claimed the biggest title of her career in Madrid before Svitolina triumphed in Rome. Kostyuk knocked out four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round and against Svitolina stepped up her level in the third set to get over the line.
“I missed one point in the beginning of the third set, and I looked at [coach] Sandra [Zaniewska] and she was really, really pissed. I don't see her like this,” Kostyuk said. “And I was like, OK, this is what I need to do, and I'm very happy that I found a way. It was very difficult, the first two sets. I wasn't aggressive enough. Then I found that rhythm and I was struggling a little bit. But I'm very happy that I committed to it. I was thinking how do I want to play if I want to win the tournament here, and this was the answer and it worked.”
The 19-year-old Andreeva reached the semi-finals of the French Open for the second time in three years after ending the run of 36-year-old Romanian Sorana Cirstea. Andreeva has won more matches than anyone on the WTA this season and was in top form as she beat Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 for her 34th victory of the season. One of Kostyuk or Andreeva will reach their first Grand Slam final when they meet on Thursday, with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka the big favourite on the other side of the draw.
