Iga Swiatek’s fourth-round defeat by Marta Kostyuk marked her earliest exit since her French Open debut in 2019.
Iga Swiatek’s departure from the French Open on Sunday signified that no former champions remained in either the men’s or women’s singles competitions.
An opportunity presents itself. But who will capitalize on it in Paris over the coming week?
Grand Slam victors and highly seeded contenders, spearheaded by Aryna Sabalenka, remain in a women’s tournament widely anticipated to be fiercely contested.
The men’s draw was initially projected as a likely victory for top seed Jannik Sinner. Now, a first-time Grand Slam champion is assured.
Following Swiatek’s exit, BBC Sport analyzes the remaining contenders with a chance to etch their names into Roland Garros history next weekend.
Marta Kostyuk is among the nine women left in the competition who have yet to reach a Grand Slam final.
Swiatek earned the moniker ‘Queen of Clay’ en route to an impressive streak of three consecutive Roland Garros titles from 2022 to 2024.
However, after a semi-final loss last year, the fourth seed was defeated in the fourth round by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
Swiatek of Poland, whose defeat occurred on her 25th birthday, continues to grapple with a crisis of confidence.
“I know that I lost because I was tense, and my body couldn’t really do the proper things,” she stated. “But it’s not the first time, as well, so I just need to work on it.”
Kostyuk, buoyed by her Rouen and Madrid titles, exhibited confidence and strategic play, consistently challenging Swiatek from the baseline.
“Things change in tennis, but I’m much more consistent. I’m the most consistent I have ever been in my career,” noted the 15th seed, who maintains a perfect 16-0 record on clay this season.
Kostyuk, 23, believes she still has a “long way” to go before cracking the top five or top 10.
While her assessment may be modest, she has another opportunity to prove her mettle against seventh seed Elina Svitolina in an all-Ukrainian quarter-final.
The other quarter-final in their bracket features Sorana Cirstea, whose impending retirement is reportedly fueling the 36-year-old Romanian’s success, against Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva.
This guarantees a first-time Grand Slam finalist will emerge from this section.
In the opposite side of the draw, Sabalenka is the primary contender as she seeks to secure the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for the first time.
Osaka is expected to present a significant challenge, having finally found her footing on clay, while American 19th seed Madison Keys – a 2025 Australian Open champion – could potentially await the winner in the quarter-finals.
Beyond these three, none of the remaining women in the fourth-round matches have ever reached a Grand Slam semi-final.
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Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini is the lowest-ranked player remaining in the men’s draw, having missed eight Grand Slams in the past five years due to injury.
The men’s draw will not only crown a first-time French Open winner, but also a first-time Grand Slam champion.
Two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz did not compete in Paris due to a wrist injury, and Sinner’s unexpected exit has opened up the field.
With the further loss of 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, a new name will undoubtedly be added to the record books.
The top half of the draw – where fourth-round matches are being contested on Monday – is now a free-for-all.
Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, ranked 105th in the world, is the lowest-ranked player left, but he possesses major final experience, having lost to Djokovic in the 2021 Wimbledon final.
Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked player in this section, while American 19th seed Frances Tiafoe also boasts significant pedigree.
However, the lack of clear contenders in this portion of the draw elevates German second seed Alexander Zverev as the favorite.
This could be 29-year-old Zverev’s best opportunity to finally claim the first major title he has long been predicted to win.
With Djokovic and Sinner out of the picture, Zverev should feel confident that no one can stop him.
Still, obstacles remain that could potentially derail his progress, notably the trio of talented young players in his half of the draw.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar, 19, will be his quarter-final opponent, followed by Djokovic’s conqueror Joao Fonseca, also 19, or 20-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik in the semi-finals.
Additionally, there is the potential for scar tissue from his previous three Grand Slam final losses to resurface.
Will Zverev feel increased pressure now that he is expected to go all the way?
He denied this after his fourth-round victory over Jesper de Jong, but a loss against the next generation would undoubtedly signify a missed golden opportunity.
Several factors have contributed to the opening up of both singles draws, including injury, illness, the ageing process, and the unusual heatwave that hit Paris.
The searing temperatures persisted for nearly a week and may have had a cumulative physical effect on certain players.
The heat has also significantly altered clay conditions, with firmer surfaces causing higher ball bounces and loosening string tension.
Another theory suggests that the weight of opportunity is becoming a burden for those remaining in the men’s draw.
“I do think we’re seeing the men deal with it for the first time in a really long time where it feels completely wide open,” said Keys.
“They should really get their heads around it.”
Nine of the 16 men’s third-round matches went to a deciding fifth set – a first in the Open era – while Jodar and 26th seed Mensik needed to go the distance to reach the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Tennis has always been a sport where mentality is as crucial as technical skill, but the current unpredictability emphasizes that this French Open is more about mental fortitude than any other major in recent years.
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