Marta Kostyuk struggles to hold back tears after securing a historic French Open victory. The 23-year-old becomes the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals of the French Open.
Kostyuk defeated her idol and compatriot Elina Svitolina by 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Tuesday, June 2. The remarkable win extended her clay-court winning streak to 17 matches.
She dedicated her historic French Open victory to the people of Ukraine.
“We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv. So many people died,” she said while being visibly upset during her on-court interview.
“I want to give this match to the Ukrainian people and to their resilience,” she added.
The quarterfinal was historic by itself, being the first time ever that two Ukrainian women had met in a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal in the Open Era. Kostyuk briefly recognised Svitolina’s influence on both her personal career and their war-stricken country.
Paying tribute to her opponent, she said: “And of course, I want to point out Elina and her incredible impact on Ukrainian tennis, on Ukrainians, and on me. She’s an unbelievable fighter.”
The French Open semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, June 4, where Kostyuk will face Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.
2026-06-02 18:44:00
