French Open 2026: Kostyuk stuns birthday girl Swiatek as Roland Garros loses its last former champion
Iga Swiatek's 25th birthday turned into a nightmare as Marta Kostyuk ended the four-time champion's Roland Garros run, leaving the tournament with no former winners in either draw.
A birthday to forget for Swiatek
Iga Swiatek's bid for a fifth French Open title ended in the fourth round on her 25th birthday, as she suffered a 7-5, 6-1 defeat to Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. The loss marked Swiatek's joint-worst performance at Roland Garros, equalling her last-16 exit on her debut seven years ago. Her serve collapsed midway through the match, losing six consecutive service games, and she offered minimal fight once the wheels fell off.
I'm still in shock to beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here and I lost four times to her before this, I never took a set off her.
Kostyuk's clay-court dominance continues
The 15th-seeded Ukrainian extended her unbeaten run on clay this season to 16 matches, having arrived in Paris fresh from titles in Rouen and Madrid. Kostyuk had lost all three previous meetings with Swiatek without taking a set, but she defended superbly and produced stunning groundstroke winners. She will face either Elina Svitolina or Belinda Bencic for a place in the semi-finals.
I try not to focus at all on winning and losing, because I'm not playing tennis to win. I'm playing tennis because I love it.
A tournament of shocks
The upset continues a chaotic spell at Roland Garros. Men's world number one Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, and defending women's champion Coco Gauff all exited in the previous three days. Swiatek's departure means there are no former champions left in either the men's or women's draws, leaving world number one Aryna Sabalenka as the favourite for the title.
- Jannik Sinner eliminated
- Novak Djokovic eliminated
- Coco Gauff eliminated
- Iga Swiatek eliminated
Zverev marches on amid rain drama
In the men's draw, German second seed Alexander Zverev kept his hopes of a first Grand Slam title alive with a 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong. The match featured a heated exchange when Zverev demanded the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier be closed as rain began to fall. The request was denied, but Zverev found his rhythm to advance in just over two hours.
In the beginning it was a bit difficult, but once I found my rhythm I felt very comfortable on court.
Other notable results
Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea, 36, beat China's Wang Xinyu 6-3, 7-6(4) to reach her first Roland Garros quarter-final in 17 years. Zverev will next face Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar, who eliminated compatriot Pablo Carreño Busta.
