A major name has been eliminated: Four-time tournament champion Iga Swiatek has been knocked out in the Round of 16 at the French Open.
The Polish player suffered a surprisingly clear defeat on Sunday, losing 5:7, 1:6 to the 15th-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk. Swiatek’s last early exit was seven years ago, and she had reached at least the quarterfinals in Paris every year since 2020.
After three consecutive triumphs, Swiatek was defeated in the semifinals in 2025 by the world number one Aryna Sabalenka. This year, the Pole was determined to reclaim the throne in Paris, even working with the clay court king Rafael Nadal in preparation.
However, after 1 hour and 39 minutes of play, Kostyuk converted her first match point – and then shed tears of joy.
Swiatek’s Conqueror Kostyuk is Moved: ‘I Can’t Believe It’
«I’m still in shock. To beat a player who has won here four times. I can’t believe it,» said a convincing Kostyuk. Before the French Open, she had already won tournaments in Rouen and Madrid. With her first-ever entry into the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, she celebrated her 15th consecutive victory on clay. After her success against Swiatek, she will now face her Ukrainian compatriot Elina Svitolina or Belinda Bencic from Switzerland in the last eight.
Just as in the men’s tournament, the defeats of favored players continued for the women. On Saturday, defending champion Coco Gauff was already eliminated in the third round against Anastasia Potapova from Austria.