Tennis Jun 03, 2026

French Open: Iga Swiatek crashes out in fourth round as 19-year-old Joao Fonseca books quarter-final spot

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
French Open: Iga Swiatek crashes out in fourth round as 19-year-old Joao Fonseca books quarter-final spot

World No 3 Iga Swiatek crashed out of the French Open with a straight-sets loss to Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round on Sunday, while 19-year-old future star Joao Fonseca booked a quarter-final spot in the men's draw.

Fonseca, who so brilliantly disposed of record 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the third round, impressed yet again as he beat two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud in an epic tussle that lasted five minutes shy of four hours.

The Brazilian teenager won 7-5 7-6 (10-8) 5-7 6-2 against the 15th seed to set up a meeting with Czech Jakub Mensik in his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Fonseca ⁠sparkled under the lights with ⁠some spectacular ball-striking from both flanks, breaking in the 12th game of the first set to wrap up the opener.

After an early exchange of breaks in the ‌second, Fonseca and Ruud were locked in a titanic tussle of power hitting, until the Norwegian squandered three set points and allowed his young opponent to edge ⁠an electric tiebreak.

Ruud was not ​done, snatching the third set to ensure ⁠the entertaining encounter would trickle into the early hours of Monday morning local time in Paris.

But Fonseca raised his level again in the fourth, ⁠claiming a double break in the fourth, before world number ​30 closed out another famous victory.

With her victory over Swiatek, Kostyuk extended her win streak on clay to 15 matches, the Ukrainian impressing in a high-quality first set that included some dazzling shots from both players.

Swiatek's unforced errors made the difference - she gifted her serve back to her opponent after breaking to go 4-3 up, while a crucial double fault in the last game of the set allowed the Kostyuk to steal the opener from the Pole.

Swiatek bounced back with a break of serve in the first game of the second set but Kostyuk, ranked 15th in the world, responded brilliantly with an immediate break of her own, seizing the momentum by winning six-straight games to close things out in style - a win that confirms a new champion at Roland-Garros in 2026.

The nature of her loss will be of particular cause for concern for Swiatek, who appeared to implode in the second set as she suffered only her fourth ever defeat at the French Open and her earliest exit in Paris since her debut campaign in 2019.

It was a 25th ‌birthday to forget for Swiatek, who blamed her defeat on being "super tense" during the match.

"I know I lost because I was tense, and my body couldn't do the proper things. It's not the ‌first time, as well, so I just need to work on it," the four-time French Open winner said.

Kostyuk, meanwhile, is through to only her second Grand Slam quarter-final and her first since the Australian Open in 2024.

She next faces fellow Ukrainian, and seventh seed, Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals after she came back from a set down to beat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 4-6 ‌6-4 6-0.

"I feel like I've given myself more space to just create something and to challenge my opponents," Kostyuk said. "The most important thing I've been doing is just trying to enjoy it.

"I woke up only thinking about what an unbelievable day I have to live today, play on [Philippe-]Chatrier against Iga - there's nothing else I could do today other than this.

"I'm not playing tennis to win, I'm playing tennis because I love it."

Elsewhere, former French Open semi-finalist Mirra Andreeva ‌brushed aside Switzerland's Jil Teichmann 6-3 6-2, to secure a quarter-final meeting with ‌Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea, who beat China's Wang Xinyu 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to ‌reach the last eight at Roland-Garros for the first time in 17 years and only her third Grand Slam quarter-final.

In the men's draw, Spanish ‌19-year-old Rafael Jodar battled back from two sets down to beat compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals of a ‌Grand Slam for the first time - where he'll face world No 3 Alexander Zverev.

Jodar has been the breakout star on clay this spring and he has lived up to the hype brilliantly so far at Roland-Garros, although it appeared his race may have been run when he lost the opening two sets to 34-year-old Carreno Busta before storming back to win in three hours and 41 minutes.

He will next face second seed Zverev in a mouthwatering last-eight match-up after he easily disposed of Dutchman Jesper De ‌Jong in straight sets, winning 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-1.

Mensik won a tough battle against Andrey Rublev 6-3 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 2-6 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals, where he'll face Fonseca.

The 26th seed won the first two sets, before dropping both the next two as Rublev mounted a comeback, only for the world No 13 to be denied in the decider.

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