Marta Kostyuk sends message that speaks volumes after stunning Iga Swiatek French Open upset
Marta Kostyuk shed light on the mindset that is driving her incredible form after her stunning upset victory against Iga Swiatek at the 2026 French Open.
The world No 15 downed third-ranked Swiatek, who is a four-time Roland Garros champion, 7-5, 6-1 in the fourth round on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Kostyuk twice battled back from a break down — including with Swiatek serving for the set at 5-4 — in a hard-fought opening set.
The Ukrainian star then lost her serve in the opening game of the second set, but she hit back by breaking Swiatek three consecutive times to seal a convincing win.
The 23-year-old is through to her second Grand Slam quarter-final after she reached the same stage at the 2024 Australian Open.
Kostyuk is unbeaten on clay in 2026, and she has extended her winning streak to 16 matches.
In her on-court interview, Kostyuk said: “Yeah, I am still in shock. To beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here — and I lost four times to her before this, never taking a set off her.
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“It’s incredible, I still cannot believe it. Thank you guys so much for the energy today.
Asked what makes her so strong on clay this year, Kostyuk said: “Yeah, I don’t know. I feel like I’ve given myself more space to just create something, to challenge my opponents.
“I think the most important thing I’ve been doing this whole time is really just trying to enjoy. I woke up today in the morning, and all I thought about [was] what an unbelievable day I have to live today, and play on Chatrier, play against Iga, and there is nothing else I could do today than this.”
Asked if her mission is to stay in this state of mind, Kostyuk said: “Well, for sure. It’s helping. I want to keep enjoying.
“I try not to focus at all on winning or losing, because I’m not playing tennis to win. I’m playing tennis because I love it and because I want to connect to people.
“I want to feel this energy coming to the court and make people happy and unite people.”
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