Kostyuk Makes History by Defeating Svitolina to Reach Grand Slam Semifinals

Paris, June 2: Marta Kostyuk has made history by defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first-ever all-Ukrainian Grand Slam quarterfinal. This victory secures Kostyuk a spot in her first major semifinal at Roland Garros.

The 23-year-old, seeded 15th, took down the 7th-seeded Svitolina in a match that lasted 1 hour and 49 minutes. Kostyuk showcased her skills by winning 13 of the last 14 points to finish the match decisively. This marks her 17th victory on clay courts, following titles in Ruin and Madrid earlier this season.

Kostyuk started strong, winning the first set 6-3. However, Svitolina made a powerful comeback in the second set, taking it 6-2 and leveling the match. In the decisive set, Kostyuk elevated her game, maintaining dominance in the final moments to clinch a memorable win.

With this result, Kostyuk now leads their head-to-head record 2-1. Their rivalry began at the 2018 Australian Open, where a 15-year-old Kostyuk lost to Svitolina in her Grand Slam debut. Since then, she has steadily closed the gap.

This match held significance beyond tennis, occurring less than 24 hours after a Russian attack in Ukraine that reportedly claimed at least 18 lives. In an emotional on-court interview, Kostyuk dedicated her historic win to her country, stating, “I want to start by talking about this historic match played against Elina. In Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, we faced another extremely difficult night. Many lives were lost. I dedicate this victory to the Ukrainian people and their indomitable courage.”

With this win, Kostyuk becomes the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros in the Open Era. She is the third Ukrainian player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, following Elina Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska.

Kostyuk’s victory also ended Svitolina’s impressive 10-match winning streak on clay. In the semifinals, she will face the 8th-seeded Mira Andreeva. This defeat is particularly disappointing for Svitolina, marking her sixth loss in the Paris quarterfinals, bringing her record to 0-6. Prior to this match, her record against fellow Ukrainian players was 10-2.