2026 French Open: Kostyuk outlasts four-time champion Swiatek; Gauff eliminated as well
Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : The French Open is continuing to serve up major shocks in Paris. Following the eliminations of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the men's singles tournament, two of the biggest title contenders in the women's singles tournament, Iga Swiatek and reigning champion Coco Gauff, were also sent crashing out in stunning fashion.
Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk is through to the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the first time in her career on Sunday, stunning four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-1, while Russian-born Anastasia Potapova knocked out reigning champion Coco Gauff 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 late Saturday night.
Kostyuk defeats Swiatek for the first time in her career
It was an even more bitter pill for the World Number 1 to swallow as Sunday was her 25th birthday.Kostyuk overcame her opponent, who she had lost to in all three previous encounters, for the first set victory against Swiatek, and he never looked back.The match had started as a baseline battle of attritional rallying, where Swiatek initially took control, but her many double faults and unforced errors proved costly.
Kostyuk leveled at 5-5 before winning the last two games of the set. He maintained that intensity and aggressive baseline play throughout the second set, reeling off the last five games to take the match. Ranked 15 in the world, Kostyuk has been in sublime form this season; he has never lost a match on clay this year and is on an incredible winning streak of 16 matches. After winning the Madrid Open prior, he then triumphed in Rouen, France.
And Coco Gauff was unable to defend her title in Paris either as she was knocked out by the fiercely fighting Russian Anastasia Potapova in a thrilling three-set clash. Gauff looked on her way back in the second set but faltered at the last hurdle and in the tie-break, her serve letting her down at crucial points. However, Potapova managed to maintain her composure in the third set to claim a memorable win, speaking after the match: "I had my chances, but I failed to perform as I expected at critical points. Potapova played better than me on key moments."
Berrettini wins marathon slugfest
But the drama is far from over in the men's singles tournament, with Matteo Berrettini of Italy finally coming through an epic five hour and 13 minute marathon with Francesco Comesan. Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the conqueror of Sinner, also progressing through after he beat Spain's Landols 6-4 6-7(9) 7-6(4) 6-7(7) 7-6(6) after he came back from two sets down. Berrettini beat Comesan 7-6 (3) 5-7 6-7 (7) 6-4 7-6 (13).
