Kostyuk Honors Ukraine with Historic French Open Semi-Final Berth

Marta Kostyuk shed tears as she dedicated her French Open quarter-final victory to her homeland, following a historic triumph over compatriot Elina Svitolina. The 23-year-old secured her place in the Paris semifinals, marking a significant milestone for Ukrainian tennis amidst the ongoing conflict.

In the first major quarter-final ever contested between two Ukrainian women, Kostyuk defeated the seventh seed Svitolina, whom she has previously hailed as "a legend of Ukrainian tennis." The match was decided in a third set, with Kostyuk prevailing 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. This achievement makes her the first Ukrainian woman in the Open era to reach the Roland Garros singles semi-finals. The victory comes as the war in Ukraine remains a constant presence in her thoughts, particularly given that the match took place just one day after missile and drone strikes killed at least 18 people across the country.

Following the match on Court Philippe Chatrier, a visibly emotional Kostyuk received a prolonged standing ovation from the spectators. Interviewer Marion Bartoli stepped in to embrace her as tears flowed. Kostyuk addressed the crowd, saying, "We had another difficult night in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv where so many people died, so I want to give this match to Ukraine."

She also honored Svitolina’s legacy, noting, "I want to point out Elina's incredible impact on tennis, Ukrainians and me. She is incredible."

Kostyuk becomes the first Ukrainian singles player to reach the French Open semifinals since Andrei Medvedev in 1999. She now joins Svitolina and Dayana Yastremska as only the third Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Despite a winning streak of 17 matches on clay this season, Kostyuk has been deeply affected by the war that began in February 2022, which has left her anxious for the safety of her family and friends. Her journey at this tournament has been fraught with personal challenges; she described her opening match as one of the most difficult of her life and later showed journalists a photo of a building on fire just 100 meters from her home in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike.

Svitolina, 31, emphasized the significance of Ukrainian representation in the latter stages of the tournament. "It's a big inspiration for the next generation. I think this is great for sports in general in Ukraine," she said. However, she expressed sorrow over the daily burden of the conflict: "[I'm] just very sad that we all have to put up with this heaviness and pain every single day, scared moments not knowing what the next day is going to bring for our family, for our friends, and for Ukraine in general."

Kostyuk’s path to the final will see her face Russian player Mirra Andreeva on Saturday. Kostyuk has been outspoken regarding Russian athletes who have not condemned the invasion, maintaining a policy of refusing to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus. When asked about the silence of Russian counterparts, Kostyuk stated, "For me, it's not frustrating anymore. They are all grown-ups. They are clearly aware of what's going on. If this is something that they want to avoid talking about, they have to live with this, not me. I don't know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know that this is going on and you have nothing to say about it."

Andreeva, when questioned about facing a Ukrainian opponent, responded, "It doesn't matter who I play. I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me and focus on the game."

Looking ahead to the semifinal, Kostyuk remained focused but humble. "I still think it [the title] is very far. I have two matches to play and hopefully you will come and support me on Thursday," she told the cheering crowd, who waved Ukrainian flags. When asked if she would repeat her signature backflip celebration, which she performed after winning the Madrid Open, Kostyuk explained, "In Madrid I practised the day before the final. I don't need to practise here - I di"

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-02 16:10:58 UTC