French Open 2026 Women's Semi-Finals Preview
Salut! At the start of the tournament, there was uncertainty about how the competition would unfold without Carlos Alcaraz. However, with the departures of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and nearly all of the top ten players in both men's and women's draws, the event has remained joyeux, amusant, and incroyable. Following the recent results guaranteeing two first-time grand slam champions this weekend, there is an exciting sense of the unknown and the possibility that anything could happen on women's semi-finals day. Nevertheless, it is impossible to overlook the shadow cast by Russia's war in Ukraine over the tournament draw.
No player has felt this shadow more acutely than Marta Kostyuk. At 23 years old, Kostyuk has taken time to consolidate her considerable talents. Now, driven by the awareness that she represents something far greater than herself while maintaining perspective on tennis, she is on a 17-match winning streak on clay and is playing with the confidence that she belongs at the top. However, in Russia's Mirra Andreeva, she faces the highest-ranked remaining player, who was already regarded as a future slam champion when she reached the semi-finals as a precocious 17-year-old in 2024.
If Kostyuk manages to secure victory on an even larger stage to become the first Ukrainian woman to reach a major final, she could face another Russian, Diana Shnaider, on Saturday. Shnaider, who remained impressively composed during yesterday's match against Sabalenka, will play fellow slam semi-final debutant Maja Chwalinska. Chwalinska, a Polish qualifier enjoying the run of her life, shares with Kostyuk an acute awareness of challenges beyond sport, having taken an indefinite break from tennis five years ago due to depression.
The promise of two captivating semi-finals is the reason for today's attention, yet these matches signify much more than tennis.
L'action commence: à 15h (2pm BST). Allons-y!
