Marta Kostyuk reached her first Roland-Garros quarterfinal while extending her clay winning streak to 16 matches. The Ukrainian celebrated the milestone but remained focused on the tournament.
โFeels great and very happy with the streak, very happy with the quarterfinal. Going to celebrate a little bit today and keep my head in the tournament,โ she said.
Shifting relationship with Paris
Kostyuk admitted that her past results in Paris had been disappointing, but this year she found a new rhythm.
โI think a lot of things clicked this year on clay and in Madrid, which was also not my best tournament. I just give myself more space, Iโm enjoying more creating points, dealing with challenges, and learning how to navigate difficult situations. Iโve been doing it well,โ she explained.
Embracing the underdog role
Her victory over Iga Swiatek highlighted her mental approach.
โI still think I was an underdog in this match. Things change in tennis, but Iโm much more consistent. Iโm the most consistent Iโve ever been in my career. Technically Iโm still further than these girls in the rankings, so Iโm still an underdog. Maybe things will change after this tournament, but I donโt mind being in both positions,โ she reflected.
Tactical edge on return
Kostyukโs ability to pressure Swiatekโs serve proved decisive.
โI was putting a lot of pressure on her second serve. She wasnโt hurting me much with the first serve today and I was just returning everything. Itโs not easy to play against someone who returns all of your serves. As the match progressed she was feeling it more and more, and her serve became more desperate or slower, so I had more time to step in,โ she said.
Emotional control and perspective
Kostyuk described how she manages emotions during matches.
โRight now the biggest thing that I do is that nothing is that big. Not one point is that important, there is always another one coming. I try to keep that in mind and think about the longer perspective, what kind of player I want to be and where I want to be. Even if you miss the balls or lose the match, you still did the right things and this is the priority for me,โ she explained.
Influence of family and coaching
Her career has been shaped by her mother and later by coach Sandra.
โI officially stopped working with my mom at the end of 2022. It was very difficult, you step away from something youโve been doing with this person for 15 years. It took a lot of time and work to appreciate it and have good memories. Right now we are great, so good that I came back to Ukraine and practiced with my mom for a few days,โ she recalled.
On Sandraโs role, she added: โSheโs told me a lot of great things. I feel like sheโs going to back me no matter what. She only wishes the best for me and this is the best feeling you can have as a player. It makes you feel the calmest on the court.โ
Ukrainian pride and respect for Svitolina
Looking ahead, Kostyuk expressed admiration for Elina Svitolina, her potential quarterfinal opponent.
โSheโs a legend of Ukrainian tennis and such an honor to share the court with her. She paved the way for a lot of Ukrainian girls and boys. Sheโs doing unbelievable this year. Iโm excited for this match,โ she said.
Iga Swiatek in 2026
Now ranked no.3, the Pole played her last match on the 31st of May when she was overcome by world no.15 Marta Kostyuk 7-5 6-1 in the 4th round of the French Open (draw).
During this season Iga owns a compiled 21-11 match record. Iga Swiatek’s most significant achievement of the current year was reaching the semifinal in Rome.
WTA French Open - Marta Kostyuk's projected path
Kostyuk at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently ranked no.15 (career-high), the Ukrainian has a compiled 23-4 match record in 2026. The Ukrainian is currently having a run at the French Open where she ousted the world no.88 Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2 6-3, the world no.108 Katie Volynets 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3, the world no.82 Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-3 and the world no.3 Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-1.
Marta Kostyuk will take on the world no.139 Katarzyna Kawa in the . The head to head is 1-0 for Kostyuk.
Kostyuk has won 2 titles in 2026 in Rouen and Madrid. Marta got to the final in Brisbane (Brisbane International).
Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk faced off 4 times. Their record is 3-1 for Swiatek.
