Preview: French Open: Elina Svitolina vs. Marta Kostyuk - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

There will be a Ukrainian woman in the Roland Garros semi-finals for the first time, with Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk to battle in the French Open last eight on Tuesday.

Svitolina, a five-time former quarter-finalist, is seeking to break new ground, while Kostyuk’s flawless clay-court season continued on Sunday with a commanding success over four-time champion Iga Swiatek.

Match preview

Svitolina has had to win matches in different ways en route to another Roland Garros quarter-final match, with comeback wins over Anna Bondar and Belinda Bencic sandwiching straightforward victories against Kaitlin Quevedo and Tamara Korpatsch.

Getting the better of Bencic, though, was significant, as it represents the 31-year-old's first success against a top-20 opponent in the French capital.

After dropping the opening set, Svitolina then claimed 12 of the following 16 games, including reeling off the final six in the deciding set for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 win in two hours and three minutes.

With that win, the world No. 7 is into her sixth quarter-final match at Roland Garros, where she has never competed in the semis, losing to Ana Ivanovic, Simona Halep, Nadia Podoroska, Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek in 2015, 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2025, respectively.

Entering Tuesday's match on a 10-match winning streak, the Rome champion hopes that her ongoing momentum stands her in good stead to break her quarter-final hoodoo in Paris.

However, success is far from guaranteed, especially as she takes on possibly the most in-form clay-court player on the women's tour.

Kostyuk has not lost a tour-level match since March, when she was beaten by Elena Rybakina on the hard courts of Miami.

Since that loss, the world No. 15 has secured the WTA 250 title in Rouen and secured the most significant victory of her career in Madrid, defeating Mirra Andreeva in the title match.

Not letting up in Paris, Kostyuk has notched a further four victories on the dirt of the French capital, the latter of which saw the 23-year-old dispatch four-time champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets for a 7-5, 6-1 success.

Sunday's win ended the Ukrainian's three-match losing run against the perceived Queen of Clay, albeit Swiatek is now a diminished force on the surface, marking the first time that she has taken a set off the Polish star.

Not happy with just one set against the six-time Grand Slam champion, Kostyuk claimed two to break new ground at Roland Garros, where she had previously never gone past the fourth round.

Now, the seemingly unstoppable 23-year-old bids to break new ground by ending Svitolina’s dream and reach a first Grand Slam semi-final.

Tournament so far

Elina Svitolina:

First round: vs. Anna Bondar 3-6 6-1 7-6(3)

Second round: vs. Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0 6-4

Third round: vs. Tamara Korpatsch 6-2 6-3

Fourth round: vs. Belinda Bencic 4-6 6-4 6-0

Marta Kostyuk:

First round: vs. Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2 6-3

Second round: vs. Katie Volynets 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3

Third round: vs. Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-3

Fourth round: vs. Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-1

Head To Head

Canadian Open (2024) - Round of 32: Kostyuk 6-2 2-6 6-2

Australian Open (2018) - Third round: Svitolina 6-2 6-2

Although Tuesday's contest will be their first on clay, Svitolina and Kostyuk have split both meetings.

Their first encounter took place way back in 2018, with the more experienced player taking down a teenage opponent in straight sets, dropping just four games en route to a 6-2, 6-2 win.

However, Kostyuk pegged back the 31-year-old two years ago in Toronto, though they went the distance in that matchup, with the younger Ukrainian recovering from losing the second set to beat her countrywoman.

We say: Kostyuk to win in three sets

Kostyuk’s confidence and flawless 16-0 form on clay could give her the edge in this all-Ukrainian quarter-final.

If she maintains her aggressive baseline play and serves well under pressure, she should have enough to push past Svitolina and reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.