Ukrainian tennis has achieved a new historical milestone at the French Open. Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk reached the quarter-finals of Roland Garros 2026 and will now face each other in a match for a spot in the semi-finals. This result has never been achieved by representatives of Ukraine in Grand Slam tournaments before. Football24 reports about this here.
Svitolina and Kostyuk rewrote the history of Ukrainian tennis
In the round of 16 matches, both Ukrainians scored impressive victories over strong opponents.
Elina Svitolina made a comeback in her match against Swiss Belinda Bencic after losing the first set, winning with a score of 4:6, 6:4, 6:0.
Marta Kostyuk, in turn, eliminated the world’s third-ranked player Iga Swiatek from the tournament, leaving her no chances in the second set. The match ended with a score of 7:5, 6:1.
Thanks to these victories, the Ukrainians have secured the first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final for their country, where two representatives of Ukraine will compete against each other.
The Svitolina vs. Kostyuk match will take place on June 2
The match between the Ukrainian tennis players is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2.
Previously, the two had faced each other twice at the professional level. At the Australian Open 2018, Svitolina celebrated victory, while in Toronto in 2024, Kostyuk proved to be the stronger player.
Thus, the upcoming meeting will be decisive in their personal rivalry and will determine the first Ukrainian to reach the semi-finals of Roland Garros 2026.
Both tennis players are close to a new record
For Elina Svitolina, this is already her sixth quarter-final at Roland Garros in her career. Marta Kostyuk has reached the top-8 of the French major for the first time.
Despite significant success at the tournament, none of the Ukrainians have previously played in the semi-finals of the French Open. Therefore, the upcoming match will not only be historical for Ukrainian tennis but will also open the possibility of setting another national achievement.
It is worth noting that previously only once did two Ukrainian tennis players reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament simultaneously. This occurred at the Australian Open 2024, when Dayana Yastremska reached the semi-finals, while Marta Kostyuk ended her performance in the 1/4 finals.
Recall that Svitolina broke Serena Williams' record and won the WTA tournament in Rome.