Swiatek Falls to Kostyuk in French Open Fourth Round
Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated in the fourth round on her 25th birthday, losing in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk at Roland Garros. The Polish third seed was defeated 7-5, 6-1 by the in-form Ukrainian 15th seed on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Swiatek, often referred to as the "Queen of Clay" due to her four Roland Garros titles, has not secured a title on the clay surface since her last triumph in Paris in 2024. The six-time Grand Slam winner, who will begin defending her Wimbledon title later this June, has yet to claim a tournament victory in 2026.
In contrast, Kostyuk entered the French Open undefeated on clay this year, having won the Madrid Open earlier in May and the Rouen Open in April.
"I'm still in shock to beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here," said Kostyuk.
"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... there's nothing I could do other than this'."
Match Overview
The first set was closely contested, with both players exchanging breaks twice before Kostyuk seized control towards the end. Swiatek demonstrated her exceptional strokeplay, particularly on returns, but unforced errors and two double faults undermined her serve. Kostyuk capitalized on these mistakes, clinching the opening set with a precise backhand winner.
Prior to this match, Kostyuk had not won a set against Swiatek in their three previous tour-level encounters. However, the 23-year-old's confidence surged as she dominated the second set with powerful groundstrokes, ultimately securing her first quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. This marks the first time Swiatek has failed to reach the French Open quarter-finals since her debut in 2019.
Context of the Tournament
Swiatek's exit is part of a broader trend of high-profile players departing from both the men's and women's draws at Roland Garros. Recent notable eliminations include men's world number one Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and defending women's champion Coco Gauff.
Meanwhile, Romanian 18th seed Sorana Cirstea advanced to her second French Open quarter-final, 17 years after her first. The 36-year-old, who plans to retire at the end of the year, defeated Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
