French Open: Kostyuk Knocks Out Swiatek In Fourth-Round

Iga Swiatek’s 25th birthday turned into a nightmare on the Parisian clay as Marta Kostyuk produced the performance of her career to knock the four-time champion out of the French Open in the fourth round.

In a stunning display of power and composure, the Ukrainian 15th seed defeated the Polish third seed 7-5, 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier, extending her own winning streak to an incredible 15 matches. For Swiatek, famously dubbed the “Queen of Clay” thanks to her four Roland Garros titles, it was a day of frustration and missed opportunities.

The Pole has not won a title on her favorite surface since lifting the trophy in Paris back in 2024, and her trophy drought in 2026 continues.

Despite being a six-time Grand Slam champion and preparing to defend her Wimbledon crown later this month, Swiatek looked a shadow of her usual self. Kostyuk, by contrast, arrived in Paris unbeaten on clay this season, having already claimed the Madrid Open and the Rouen Open.

The first set was a tense battle, with both players trading breaks twice. Swiatek showed flashes of brilliance on the return, but her serve let her down at the worst possible moments.

Two costly double faults handed Kostyuk the edge, and the Ukrainian seized the set with a gorgeous backhand winner down the line.

That moment changed everything. Coming into the match, Kostyuk had never won a set against Swiatek in three previous tour-level meetings.

Now, with that mental barrier smashed, the 23-year-old grew in belief. She began hammering powerful groundstrokes deep into the corners, forcing Swiatek into error after error. The second set was a rout: Kostyuk raced through it 6-1, reaching her first-ever Roland Garros quarter-final.

For Swiatek, it marked the earliest exit of her career in Paris—she had never failed to make the quarter-finals since her debut in 2019.

The upset adds to a growing list of fallen giants at this year’s tournament. Men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, and defending women’s champion Coco Gauff have all been sent packing in recent days.