Marta Kostyuk dedicates the first Grand Slam semifinal to difficult nights in Ukraine

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk fought back tears as she dedicated the biggest victory of her career to the people of her war-torn homeland after reaching the first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open on Tuesday.

Hours after another tough night in Kiev, Kostyuk used her on-court interview to pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainians, moments after beating compatriot Elina Svitolina in an emotional quarter-final clash at Roland Garros.

“I want to start with this historic match I played with Elina. We had a difficult night in Kyiv, so many people died. So I give this match to the Ukrainian people and their resilience. Glory Ukraine,” Kostyuk said.

The 23-year-old produced one of the best performances of her career to beat Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the last four at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Kostuk also paid tribute to Svitolina, who has long been the face of Ukrainian women’s tennis and one of the most prominent voices against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I want to point out Elina and her influence on Ukrainian tennis, me and everyone watching. She’s an incredible fighter. I’m very happy to finish, but I want to thank her for this incredible match,” Kostyuk said.

FRENCH OPEN: ALL-CAIN QUARTERFINALS

The all-Ukrainian quarter-final had additional significance given the circumstances of both players. Tensions persisted throughout the tournament, with Ukrainian players repeatedly speaking of the emotional loss of the competitions while their homeland continues to endure attacks.

Under the closed roof of Court Philippe Chatrier, Kostyuk made a confident start and raced to a 4-1 lead before Svitolina briefly clawed her way back into the match. Kostyuk regained control and took the opening set when the seventh seed sent a forehand long.

Svitolina responded strongly in the second set when Kostyuk’s serve faltered, allowing the former world No. 3 to level the match and keep her hopes of reaching the first French Open semi-final alive.

The deciding set turned into a tight battle, with the first five games going against serve. Kostyuk eventually settled for the first, holding a 4-2 lead before breaking again and serving out the match to secure the biggest win of her Grand Slam career.

FRENCH OPEN: SHADOWS OF WAR

The background of the competition could not be ignored. Earlier in the tournament, Kostyuk revealed that a Russian rocket had landed near her family home in Kyiv.

“Tennis is a mental game, but today was something completely different. I didn’t know how I would focus and if I would even be able to control my thoughts,” she said after the incident.

Svitolina, who has consistently used her platform to raise awareness of the war, admitted after Tuesday’s defeat that the weight of events at home remains ever-present.

“It’s just very sad that we all have to really endure this weight and pain every day and the scared moments of not knowing what the next day will bring for our family, for our friends and for Ukraine in general,” Svitolina said.

Kostuk will now face Russian Mirra Andreeva for a place in the French Open final.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

02 Jun 2026 21:09 IST