TENNIS: Kostyuk compounds French Open chaos by crushing Swiatek, Fonseca rises

PARIS — Iga Swiatek's 25th birthday celebrations turned sour at the French Open on Sunday. The former champion lost to 15th seed Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round, ending her bid for a fifth title just when she looked to be rediscovering her form.

Swiatek's shock 7-5, 6-1 loss came amid a chaotic spell at Roland Garros. Men's world number one Jannik Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, and defending women's champion Coco Gauff all crashed out in the previous three days.

The string of upsets leaves world number one Aryna Sabalenka as the heavy favorite to lift her first title in Paris. However, Ukraine's Kostyuk will be one to watch as she builds momentum in a stellar clay-court season.

"I'm still in shock," Kostyuk said after reaching her first French Open quarterfinal. "I've given myself more space to just create something, to challenge my opponents. I woke up this morning and all I thought was, 'What an unbelievable day I have to live today... there's nothing I could do other than this.' I try not to focus on winning and losing, because I'm not playing tennis to win. I'm playing because I love it."

Fonseca and Jodar Lead the Next Generation

The day also belonged to a rising star in the men's draw. Fresh off defeating Djokovic, Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca downed two-time runner-up Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal. He achieved the feat in front of his idol and three-time French Open winner, Gustavo Kuerten.

"He's an idol for our sport and country, for his charisma and how humble he is," Fonseca said. "He was here for my first time at Roland Garros when I was a junior. It is a pleasure to have him here and a pleasure to beat a tough opponent in front of him."

With so many top stars out, the French Open will crown new champions in both the men's and women's draws for the first time since Djokovic and Garbine Muguruza triumphed a decade ago.

Another dark horse for the Musketeers' Cup is teenage sensation Rafael Jodar. The Spaniard battled back from two sets down to defeat countryman Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Spanish battle of the generations.

Zverev Cruises On

Jodar's next opponent, Alexander Zverev, is a much more established contender. With three Grand Slam final appearances under his belt, the German remained on track for an elusive maiden major by beating lucky loser and birthday boy Jesper De Jong 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1.

Zverev noted that it is a "fun time" to be a young player like Jodar with no pressure.

"Bak ut it's also fun to be in a position I'm in, where I've been at this level for 10 years," Zverev said. "I know how to handle certain situations."

A "Tough Day in the Office" for Swiatek

It was a difficult afternoon for Swiatek. Though she has forged a reputation as the "Queen of Clay," she has now gone two years without a title on the surface following her last triumph in Paris.

After suffering her earliest defeat at Roland Garros since her debut campaign in 2019, Swiatek will look for comfort on grass ahead of her Wimbledon title defense starting on June 29.

"It wasn't a good day in the office," said Swiatek, whose form has been patchy throughout the season. "Many things I could manage a bit better, but it was super tough to keep the level I wanted to. Obviously, at this stage, any opponent in the fourth round who has already played a couple of matches will use the opportunity. Congratulations to Marta."

How the Match Was Lost

Kostyuk and Swiatek sweated it out in the afternoon heat, twice exchanging breaks in the first set. The Ukrainian then secured a tight hold in the 11th game before raising her intensity to bag the opening set with a blistering backhand crosscourt winner.

It marked the first time Kostyuk had ever taken a set off the third-seeded Pole after three straight defeats in their previous meetings. Sensing a massive upset, Kostyuk broke early in the second set to storm ahead and comfortably close out the match.

Kostyuk moves on to a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash against seventh-seeded compatriot Elina Svitolina, who defeated Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

"She's paved the way for a lot of Ukrainian girls and boys, and she's doing great," Kostyuk said of Svitolina. "And especially this year, she's doing unbelievable. I'm so excited for this match." -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Paris; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Ros Russell and Clare Fallon/Reuters