Kostyuk reaches the Roland-Garros round of 16 for the first time in five years, 14-0 this season on clay

Marta Kostyuk, the 15th seed, beat Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubić 6-4, 6-3 on Friday to reach the fourth round of Roland-Garros for the first time since 2021. It was Kostyuk’s 14th consecutive win on clay this season, leaving her unbeaten on the surface in 2026 after her titles in Rouen and Madrid.

Kostyuk has now reached the second week at this tournament for the second time in her seven appearances here.

The numbers under the score told the story of how she does it. Golubić landed 70 per cent of her first serves to Kostyuk’s 52, but Kostyuk won 71 per cent of her first-serve points to the Swiss player’s 60 and broke four times in ten chances.

“The joy of creating points”

She was asked afterwards what had unlocked the clay run. “I went back to little me,” she said. “I always played unbelievable on clay since I was a kid. Then something happened. I decided I needed to grow up. I needed to play different. It wasn’t working well. I feel like I found again that joy of creating points, changing rhythm, running around a bit, it’s something I love to do. It’s something that’s not very difficult for me. I love to take that advantage against players.”

Sunday’s reward, depending on the Saturday afternoon results, will be either Iga Świątek – the four-time Roland-Garros champion who has won 28 of her last 29 matches at this tournament – or Poland’s Magda Linette in the round of 16. Kostyuk arrived in Paris from her Madrid title with the most points of any woman on the clay swing.

The next opponent is the player who is closest to matching her.

Roland-Garros 2026, Women’s Singles – 2nd Round

A.Sabalenka (1) – E.Jacquemot: 7-5, 6-2

D.Kasatkina – S.Bandecchi: 7-5, 7¹³-6¹¹

I.Jovic (17) – E.Navarro: 6-0, 6-3

N.Osaka (16) – D.Vekic: 7⁷-6¹, 6-4

V.Mboko (9) – K.Siniakova: 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

M.Keys (19) – A.Ruzic: 6-4, 6-4

D.Shnaider (25) – M.Kessler: 7⁷-6⁶, 6-1

O.Oliynykova – K.Birrell: 6-3, 0-6, 7¹⁰-6⁵

C.Gauff (4) – M.Sherif: 6-3, 6-2

A.Potapova (28) – K.Boulter: 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

A.Kalinskaya (22) – A.Korneeva: 7⁷-6², 6-4

C.Osorio – Y.Putintseva: 7-5, 6⁶-7⁸, 7-5

M.Sakkari – C.Liu: 6⁷-7⁹, 6-3, 6-3

M.Chwalinska – E.Mertens (23): 6-4, 6-0

D.Parry – A.Li (30): 6-3, 6-4

A.Anisimova (6) – J.Grabher: 6-0, 0-0 (Ab.)

E.Svitolina (7) – K.Quevedo: 6-0, 6-4

T.Korpatsch – X.Wang (32): 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

P.Stearns – D.Snigur: 6-4, 6-0

B.Bencic (11) – C.Mcnally: 6-4, 6-0

M.Kostyuk (15) – K.Volynets: 6⁶-7⁷, 6-3, 6-3

V.Golubic – A.Parks: 6-2, 6-2

M.Linette – J.Ostapenko (29): 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

I.Swiatek (3) – S.Bejlek: 6-2, 6-3

M.Andreeva (8) – M.Bassols Ribera: 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

M.Bouzkova (27) – F.Jones: 6-0, 7⁷-6⁵

J.Teichmann – M.Frech: 7-5, 6-4

K.Muchova (10) – K.Rakhimova: 6-2, 6-2

S.Sierra – J.Paolini (13): 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

S.Cirstea (18) – E.Lys: 6-3, 6-0

X.Wang – H.Baptiste (26): 5-4 (Ab.)

Y.Starodubtseva – E.Rybakina (2): 3-6, 6-1, 7¹⁰-6⁵

Women’s Singles – 3rd Round

A.Sabalenka (1) vs D.Kasatkina

I.Jovic (17) vs N.Osaka (16)

V.Mboko (9) vs M.Keys (19)

D.Shnaider (25) vs O.Oliynykova

C.Gauff (4) vs A.Potapova (28)

A.Kalinskaya (22) vs C.Osorio

M.Sakkari vs M.Chwalinska

D.Parry vs A.Anisimova (6)

E.Svitolina (7) vs T.Korpatsch

P.Stearns vs B.Bencic (11)

M.Kostyuk (15) vs V.Golubic : 6-4, 6-3

M.Linette vs I.Swiatek (3)

M.Andreeva (8) vs M.Bouzkova (27)

J.Teichmann vs K.Muchova (10)

S.Sierra vs S.Cirstea (18)

X.Wang vs Y.Starodubtseva