2024 Australian Open quarterfinalist Marta Kostyuk broke down in tears in an emotional interview after reaching the French Open semifinal for the first time, as she got tears in her eyes at the sight of numerous Ukrainian flags in the stands. She beat compatriot Elina Svitolina in three sets.
Before this year, Kostyuk had never advanced beyond the fourth round at the French Open. In fact, she had suffered first-round exits in three of her previous four appearances at Roland Garros, making her quarterfinal win against close friend Svitolina all the more meaningful.
The achievement carried even greater emotional weight given Kostyuk’s recent challenges away from the court. She has spoken about the ongoing war in her homeland, revealing that a bomb
had struck not far from where her family lives in Kyiv just days earlier.
As Kostyuk walked over for her post-match interview with Marion Bartoli after the victory over Svitolina, the sight of Ukrainian flags in the stands overwhelmed her with emotion.
Fighting back tears, Kostyuk was comforted by a hug from Bartoli as the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier rose to applaud her resilience and achievement. Watch the video here:
The match was a historic one, marking the first all-Ukrainian Grand Slam quarterfinal. While Svitolina was making her sixth appearance in a French Open quarterfinal, it was uncharted territory for Kostyuk, who had reached the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Kostyuk, the 15th seed, overcame Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 and will take on Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday for a place in the final.
Kostyuk has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine on the tennis circuit since the outbreak of the war with Russia. The backdrop to her French Open run was grim, with Ukraine coming under a large-scale overnight attack involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles early Tuesday, leaving at least 18 people dead.
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