Marta Kostyuk reached her first major semifinal at the French Open by defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in Tuesday's quarterfinal. The 15th seed improved her 2026 clay-court record to 17-0 and became the first Ukrainian woman to reach a Roland Garros semifinal in the professional era. Svitolina fell in a French Open quarterfinal for the sixth time.

Standing between Kostyuk and the final is Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, who crushed 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier. Andreeva, 19, is into her second French Open semifinal and leads with deep groundstrokes and aggressive net play. Kostyuk owns a 2-0 head-to-head edge, including a win in the Madrid final last month.

The match carries weight far beyond tennis. Russian forces launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight against Kyiv and other cities, killing at least 18 civilians. Kostyuk, a vocal supporter of Ukraine, will not shake Andreeva's hand at the net, following Ukrainian players' protocol since the war began.

Andreeva said she focuses purely on tactics, not her opponent's nationality. Svitolina, heading home to daughter Skai and husband Gael Monfils, plans to watch and cheer for Kostyuk from afar. A Ukrainian champion at Roland Garros would resonate deeply back home.