Kostyuk ends Swiatek’s reign as Roland Garros’ last former champion
Iga Swiatek’s fourth-round exit coincides with Jannik Sinner’s heat-related elimination, reshaping the tournament landscape.
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has defeated four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, during the fourth round of the 2026 tournament on Sunday. The result marks Kostyuk’s first appearance in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and eliminates the last remaining former title holder from either the men’s or women’s draws.
Swiatek, the Polish third seed, suffered the loss on her 25th birthday, a performance described as her joint worst at the event, equal to her last-16 departure on debut seven years ago. Kostyuk, the current Madrid Open winner and 15th seed, remained unbeaten on clay this season to secure the victory. Prior to this match, Kostyuk had lost four times to Swiatek at Roland Garros, never having taken a set off her opponent.
The first set remained on serve until the seventh game, when Swiatek broke Kostyuk’s service to move ahead. However, the Polish player’s delivery faltered thereafter. Two double faults in the first set provided Kostyuk with the opportunity to level the set, which she secured with a low cross-court backhand. Swiatek departed the court at the interval to regroup, but Kostyuk maintained pressure, winning three consecutive games to take a 3-1 lead in the second set.
Kostyuk sealed the match with powerful groundstrokes, pinning Swiatek back to win the final two games. The Ukrainian player will now face either seventh-seeded compatriot Elina Svitolina or Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals. Swiatek’s exit means she will go another year without the title she first won in 2020 and subsequently claimed three times consecutively between 2022 and 2024.
In a separate development affecting the men’s draw, world number one Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the second round due to heat exhaustion. Sinner, who had entered the tournament as the -275 favourite and held a 30-match winning streak, collapsed while leading 5-1 in the third set against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Temperatures reached 84 degrees Fahrenheit during the match.
Sinner’s defeat marks the first time a men’s number one seed has exited in the second round or earlier since Andre Agassi. Medical staff attended to Sinner, who reported feeling sick and had his blood pressure taken before the match was concluded. The combined exits of Swiatek and Sinner have significantly altered the trajectory of the 2026 French Open.
