NEW DELHI: A new women’s champion will be crowned at Roland-Garros this year after four-time winner Iga Swiatek suffered a stunning fourth-round exit on her 25th birthday, falling to in-form Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk on Sunday.The 15th-seeded Kostyuk produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, battling past Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 to reach her maiden French Open quarterfinal and extend her remarkable clay-court winning streak to 16 matches.With Swiatek’s defeat following the earlier exit of Coco Gauff, the women’s draw is now guaranteed to produce a first-time champion in Paris, opening the door for a new name to lift one of tennis’ most prestigious trophies.Kostyuk’s clay-court surge continuesKostyuk arrived in Paris as one of the hottest players on clay after winning titles in Rouen and Madrid, and she carried that momentum onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.Despite losing all three previous meetings against Swiatek without winning a set, the Ukrainian showed little sign of intimidation. She matched the former world No. 1 from the baseline, defended brilliantly and repeatedly punished short balls with fearless groundstrokes.“I’m still in shock. To beat such an unbelievable player, who won four times here,” Kostyuk said after the biggest Grand Slam victory of her career.The Ukrainian’s confidence has been built on consistency throughout the clay season, and Sunday was further proof that she is emerging as one of the leading contenders for the title.Birthday disappointment for Paris queenSwiatek appeared on course to take control when she moved 5-4 ahead in the opening set after exchanging early breaks. However, nerves began to creep into her game at crucial moments.A series of double faults and unforced errors allowed Kostyuk back into the contest. The Ukrainian levelled at 5-5 before taking the set with a superb backhand passing shot.The second set quickly turned into a nightmare for the Polish star. Although Swiatek briefly broke serve, more double faults and mounting errors handed the momentum back to Kostyuk, who raced through the final five games to seal a memorable victory.The defeat continues a surprising title drought for Swiatek on clay, with the Pole yet to win a tournament on the surface since her French Open triumph in 2024.Veteran Cirstea creates historyElsewhere, Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea reached her second Roland-Garros quarterfinal by defeating China’s Wang Xiyu 6-3, 7-6(4).The achievement came 17 years after her first quarterfinal appearance in Paris, marking the longest gap between quarterfinal appearances at a single Grand Slam by any woman in the Open Era.As Roland-Garros heads into its final week, the established champions are gone. The race is now wide open, and for the first time in years, a new queen of Paris is guaranteed to emerge.
