When Marta Kostyuk stepped onto the clay this spring, few saw her as the most dangerous player on tour. A few weeks later, the 22-year-old Ukrainian has established an undeniable truth: she is the best player in the world on this surface.
Every analysis of the day, free
Create your free account to unlock today's analyses.
Fifteen consecutive victories on clay. Not a single defeat. This record, built tournament by tournament, reached its pinnacle on Sunday at Court Philippe-Chatrier with the most significant win of all: a 7-5, 6-1 demolition of Iga Swiatek, four-time Roland-Garros champion and the undisputed queen of clay since 2020.
Kostyuk's clay-court style is strikingly modern. Where most players retreat behind the baseline to construct their points, the Ukrainian takes the opposite approach. She positions herself inside the court, takes the ball early, and regularly charges the net. Against Swiatek, she came forward 34 times and struck 35 winners, numbers that reflect a bold, attacking brand of tennis.
Born in Kyiv in 2002, Kostyuk burst onto the WTA scene at just 15, reaching the third round of the 2018 Australian Open. But the years that followed brought ups and downs, injuries, and gradual maturation. The 2026 season represents a turning point. Her game, now more aggressive and more complete, has found its ideal expression on clay.
Her Parisian journey continues. In the quarterfinals, Kostyuk will face either Belinda Bencic or Elina Svitolina. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear: women's tennis has found its new clay-court force.
