It’s a very special kind of encounter: When the Ukrainians Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk meet on Tuesday, it won’t just be a match between two players who are among the best that clay court tennis has to offer. It’s about more.
Marta Kostyuk danced. She had only just won the first set. However, against the big favorite Iga Swiatek with 7:5. It had been a high-class match up to this point. Kostyuk had repeatedly posed problems for her opponent, who had already triumphed here in Paris four times, with aggressive returns, was cool even in pressure situations and deservedly led.
And while Swiatek disappeared into the catacombs to recalibrate mentally, Kostyuk used the break for a little dance in the middle of the pitch. Roland Garros had never experienced anything like that. In the middle of a round of 16 match. The audience was ecstatic with joy, Kostyuk danced to the music of the stadium DJ and smiled as relaxed as if she had already won the match. And that’s how it happened: Kostyuk won the second set impressively 6:1.
Parents’ house almost hit by rocket
Svitolina and Kostyuk are the stars of Ukrainian tennis, which is currently doing very well among women. Seven players from Ukraine are in the top 100, and after the French Open, regardless of the outcome, Kostyuk will achieve the highest placement of her career, around the top 10. It certainly didn’t look like that at the start of the tournament.
Marta Kostyuk at the French Open in Paris
Before her first-round match against her compatriot Oksana Selekhmeteva, Kostyuk learned that a Russian missile attack on her hometown of Kiev had narrowly missed her parents’ house. Her mother, sister and great-aunt were in the house at the time of the attack. She was upset and showed a photo from home in the press conference after her match. “I’m very proud of my performance today. It was one of the most difficult matches of my career.” However, Kostyuk never thought about not running when she found out that nothing had happened to anyone in her family.
Svitolina sports foreign minister
Now she’s in the quarterfinals against her compatriot Elina Svitolina, who has played her way through the tournament quite confidently after a shaky first round. In addition to their job as tennis professionals, both women also have another job: that of ambassador for their country. Kostyuk, Svitolina and the other Ukrainian women have learned in the four years since Russia’s war of aggression began that they have a significant voice to maintain attention. Svitolina is almost a sporty foreign minister in her demeanor and language. Kostyuk is a little more reserved, but still adamant in her words.
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina at the French Open in Paris
And then there is Oleksandra Oliynikova. The 25-year-old, who is currently celebrating her sporting breakthrough and made it to the third round in Paris, is the woman for the rough stuff. During the French Open, she directly accused her opponents and criticized the officials for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in tennis.
Svitolina, Kostyuk and Co. will no longer be able to change the fact that they will continue to meet Russians or Belarusians. The associations have already taken a clear position on this in 2022 after Wimbledon excluded players from Belarus and Russia from the tournament. WTA and ATP then made it clear that they did not support the ban and decreed that no world ranking points would be awarded at Wimbledon.
Duel of the Masters winners
Despite this burden, things are currently going excellent for both of them. Kostyuk has won her last 15 matches on clay, Svitolina her last ten. The major Masters titles in preparation for the French Open went to Kostyuk in Madrid and Svitolina in Rome. Both of them come into every match with almost limitless self-confidence.
What is striking is the sporting development of both players over the last few years. Svitolina became a mother in October 2022, made her comeback three years ago and has been a different player since then. Before the pregnancy the focus was on defense and counter-attacking, but since then she has become much more offensive. Shorten points, set tasks instead of sitting out your opponent. Physically, she said in Paris that she is currently feeling in one of her best phases in her career.
Kostyuk’s game has also changed. Since she started working with a mental coach three years ago, she has become much calmer in matches. While Kostyuk was considered erratic, impulsive and too emotional when she was in her late teens, the now 23-year-old is now much more stable.
On Tuesday, Elina Svitolina can reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the fifth time; it would be a first for Marta Kostyuk. On the pitch they will be competitors, off the pitch they will work together towards their goal of not letting the war in their homeland disappear from people’s minds. With their means. Successfully.
