There will be new champions in both the men’s and women’s draws at Roland Garros after Iga Swiatek was beaten on her birthday by Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian produced a stunning performance to win 7-5, 6-1, ending Swiatek's hopes of a fifth French Open title.
Kostyuk's Remarkable Run
Kostyuk has been in exceptional form on clay this season, winning the Madrid Open earlier this month and extending her unbeaten run to 16 matches. The 23-year-old, ranked a career-high 15th, had never taken a set off Swiatek in three previous meetings but dominated from the start.
“To beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here, I’d lost to her three times, never taken a set off her, I still cannot believe it,” said Kostyuk. “I think the most important thing I’ve been doing is really just trying to enjoy. I woke up this morning and I just thought about what an unbelievable day I have to live today to play on Chatrier against Iga.”
Swiatek's Struggles
The Polish star, who had a difficult season, brought in Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu’s former coach Francisco Roig earlier in the spring to try to reverse her slide. However, her troubles persisted, and this defeat marks her earliest exit in Paris since her debut in 2019.
Swiatek served for the first set but could not close it out, and two double faults in the 12th game handed Kostyuk the advantage. After a lengthy bathroom break, Swiatek broke serve to start the second set but then double-faulted twice again, allowing Kostyuk to regain control. Her forehand became increasingly erratic, and a final backhand that flew wide was her 38th unforced error of the match.
Ukrainian Success
Kostyuk began the tournament in tears after revealing her family home in Kyiv narrowly avoided being hit by a Russian missile. Her victory continues an excellent tournament for Ukraine’s women, with several players advancing deep into the draw.
