Marta Kostyuk scripted history on Tuesday, 2 June, defeating compatriot Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first all-Ukrainian Grand Slam quarterfinal of the Open Era at Roland Garros in Paris. The win sends the 23-year-old into her maiden major semifinal and extends her remarkable clay-court run to 17 straight wins.

How the match unfolded

Seeded 15th, Kostyuk took the opener 6-3 before the 7th seed Svitolina hit back to level the contest 6-2. The decider, however, belonged to the younger Ukrainian, who closed out the match by reeling off 13 of the final 14 points in a one-hour-and-49-minute battle.

A win bigger than tennis

The result arrived less than 24 hours after a Russian strike across Ukraine that reportedly killed at least 18 people, with Kyiv among the worst hit. In an emotional on-court interview, Kostyuk dedicated the victory to her country. ‘I want to start with this historic match that we played today with Elina,' she said. ‘We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv. So many people are dead. I want to give this match to the Ukrainian people and to their resilience.'

Where it places her in history

Kostyuk becomes the first Ukrainian woman in the Open Era to reach the Roland Garros semifinals, and only the third Ukrainian player overall to make a Grand Slam last-four, after Elina Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska. The win also nudges her head-to-head with Svitolina to 2-1, mirroring the 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 scoreline of their 2024 Toronto meeting.

A painful Paris pattern for Svitolina

For Svitolina, widely regarded as the most accomplished Ukrainian in WTA history, this was a sixth Paris quarterfinal defeat, leaving her record at the stage at 0-6. She had entered the contest with a strong 10-2 record against fellow Ukrainians on tour and a 10-match clay winning streak — both of which Kostyuk ended.

Mutual respect on Court Philippe-Chatrier

Despite the magnitude of the moment, Kostyuk paused to acknowledge her opponent's legacy. ‘And of course, I want to point out Elina and her incredible impact on Ukrainian tennis, on Ukrainians and on me,' she said. ‘Everyone who's watching, she's an unbelievable fighter. I'm so happy to be in the semifinals, but I want to thank her again for this incredible match.'

What's next

Kostyuk now meets 8th seed Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals — a rematch of this year's Madrid Open final. Both players are chasing a maiden Grand Slam final, and Kostyuk has won both their meetings in 2025, in Brisbane and Madrid. With titles in Rouen and Madrid already on her clay résumé this season, the Ukrainian heads into the last four as the form player of the surface.