&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "French Open 2026: Marta Kostyuk scripts history, dedicates victory to Ukraine amid ongoing conflict with Russia")
Marta Kostyuk produced a historic performance at the French Open, defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina to become the first Ukrainian woman in the Open Era to reach the Roland Garros singles semifinals. The 23-year-old overcame seventh seed Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first Grand Slam quarterfinal contested between two Ukrainian women. The victory came amid continued turmoil in Ukraine, following a deadly missile and drone attack that claimed at least 18 lives across the country.
After the match, an emotional Kostyuk dedicated her win to her homeland. Speaking on court following her 6-3, 2-6 and 6-2 win, Kostyuk said, “We had another difficult night in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, where so many people died, so I want to give this match to Ukraine.” The crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier responded with a prolonged standing ovation as Kostyuk fought back tears. Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, conducting the on-court interview, embraced the Ukrainian star during the emotional moment.
Kostyuk also praised her opponent and compatriot, acknowledging Svitolina’s influence on Ukrainian tennis. She said, “I want to point out Elina's incredible impact on tennis, Ukrainians, and me. She is incredible.” With the victory, Kostyuk became the first Ukrainian singles player to reach the French Open semifinals since Andrei Medvedev achieved the feat in 1999. She now advances to a highly anticipated semifinal against Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva for a place in the championship match.
Kostyuk joins Elina Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska as only the third Ukrainian woman to reach a Grand Slam singles semifinal.
Her success comes despite the ongoing impact of the war in Ukraine, which has affected her family, friends, and daily life since Russia’s invasion started in February 2022. Earlier in the tournament, Kostyuk described her opening-round victory as one of the toughest matches of her career and shared images showing damage near her family home in Kyiv following missile strikes.
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The emotional quarterfinal took place just one day after one of Russia’s largest attacks on Ukraine in recent months, adding further significance to the occasion. Kostyuk has consistently spoken out about the war and has maintained the stance shared by several Ukrainian players of not shaking hands with competitors from Russia and Belarus.
Kostyuk enters the semifinals with a remarkable 17-match clay-court winning streak and remains focused on pursuing a historic title for Ukraine. When asked whether she would celebrate with another backflip, similar to her Madrid Open triumph over Andreeva last month, Kostyuk joked, “In Madrid I practised the day before the final.” She added, "I don't need to practise here. I did it a month ago, but I promised I would only do it again when I win a final."
