Iga Swiatek’s Shock Exit at Roland Garros Ends Birthday Celebrations
On Sunday, 26 May 2024, former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek saw her 25th birthday celebrations cut short after a straight‑sets loss to Ukrainian qualifier Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round of the French Open. The 7‑5, 6‑1 defeat marked Swiatek’s first defeat at Roland Garros since her debut appearance in 2019 and came amid a tumultuous few days that saw several top‑seeded players exit the tournament.
Match Overview
Swiatek, seeded third, began the match strongly, breaking Kostyuk’s serve early in the opening set. However, Kostyuk responded with a break of her own and held serve to level the set at 5‑5. A backhand cross‑court winner in the 11th game gave Kostyuk the set 7‑5.
In the second set, the Ukrainian built on her momentum, breaking Swiatek twice to take a 3‑0 lead. Swiatek managed to win a single game, but Kostyuk closed out the match 6‑1, securing her first victory over a top‑five opponent on clay.
- First set: Kostyuk 7‑5 Swiatek (break in game 11)
- Second set: Kostyuk 6‑1 Swiatek (breaks in games 2 and 4)
- Key stat: Kostyuk improved her clay‑court record to 15‑0 for the 2024 season (WTA player profile).
- Historical note: This was Swiatek’s first loss at Roland Garros since 2019, ending a streak of 11 consecutive match wins at the venue (Roland Garros archives).
Context of the Tournament Chaos
Swiatek’s exit was part of a broader wave of upsets at the 2024 French Open. In the preceding three days:
- Men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner fell in the fourth round to unseeded Lorenzo Musetti.
- 24‑time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic withdrew after a third‑round injury.
- Defending women’s champion Coco Gauff lost in the quarterfinals to Elise Mertens.
These results cleared the path for Aryna Sabalenka, who entered the tournament as the new world No. 1 and was widely regarded as the favorite to capture her first Paris title (
