Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk reacts after the fourth-round tennis against Poland's Iga Swiatek match at the French Open in Paris, Sunday, May 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS — There will be a first-time women’s champion at the French Open this year, and two Ukrainian players are among the strongest contenders.

Undefeated this season on clay, 15th-seeded Marta Kostyuk showed her strong credentials as she reached the quarterfinals in Paris for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.

She will be up against her compatriot Elina Svitolina next, ensuring there will be an Ukrainian woman semifinalist at Roland Garros for the first time in the professional era (1968). The seventh-seeded Svitolina rallied past Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

“There’s going to be Ukraine in the semifinals, so it’s already amazing,” said Svitolina, whose country is in a 4-year-old war with Russia.

“I think it couldn’t be a better, amazing achievement for Ukrainian tennis. I think in such a difficult situation right now in the war, with the invasion, it’s really, really difficult, and I think it’s really inspiring for the next generation to really believe that it is possible one day to play on this court and win.”

None of the players still in the draw have yet lifted the trophy in Paris, following Coco Gauff’s elimination on Saturday and Swiatek’s exit. It’s the same in the men’s draw, after the defeats of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic and with Carlos Alcaraz absent because of an injury.

In men’s play, Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar moved into his first Grand Slam quarterfinal after coming back from two sets down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Jodar, who also played five sets in the previous round, will play second-seeded and former runner-up Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. Zverev defeated Jesper de Jong 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1.

Also, 19-year-old Joao Fonseca followed up his five-set victory over Novak Djokovic by beating two-time runner-up Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2.

Fonseca will next face 20-year-old Jakub Mensik, who held off a comeback from Andrey Rublev in a 6-3, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 win.

Night match

The high-profile fourth-round matchup between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka today will be the first women’s night match at the French Open in three years.

Roland Garros organizers have been criticized for scheduling only men’s matches under the lights in recent years, with organizers saying they are under pressure from TV broadcasters and that women’s best-of-three set matches are too short compared to the best-of-five format for men.

It will be only the fifth women’s match in the five years since the night sessions were introduced in Paris.

The last women’s match at night also involved Sabalenka, when she beat Sloane Stephens in 2023.

“YOLO,” Osaka said when asked on Saturday if her match against Sabalenka deserved to be held at night, using the abbreviation for “You only live once.”

Osaka has been putting on a fashion show for her walk-ons before each match of the tournament.