Andrejewa reaches French Open final – Kostjuk refuses handshake

Kostjuk had entered the match with a series of 16 tour wins. The 23-year-old was in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time in Paris and could not confirm the rhythm of the past weeks. The roof of the court was closed during the match; prior to that, Kostjuk had apparently struggled with wind problems.

Kostjuk and the war

According to reports, the atmosphere in the stands was predominantly on the Ukrainian's side. The audience in Court Philippe Chatrier reacted reservedly when Andrejewa celebrated after the match point. The tension between sporting competition and political symbolism also characterized this semi-final.

In the final on Saturday, Andrejewa will face either fellow Russian favorite Diana Schnaider, seeded 25th, or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska. The second women's semi-final will also take place on Court Philippe Chatrier. Both players are also in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time, or further.

The political dimension of the match was further emphasized by Kostjuk herself. After her opening match in Paris, she had reported that a rocket had destroyed a building about 100 meters from her parents' house and showed a photo on her phone at a press conference, which was supposed to document the destruction. "I try, whenever possible, to remind people of the horrors of everyday life for people in my homeland," Kostjuk said.

Outlook: Final on Saturday

With Andrejewa's entry into the final, it is certain that no player who has previously won a Grand Slam title will be in the women's final in Paris. The same applies to the men's competition, whose semi-finals will be played on Friday. As the organizers announced, it has been 49 years since neither the women nor the men had a previous Grand Slam champion in the semi-finals.

Men's semi-finals on Friday

In the men's competition, Hamburg's Alexander Zverev will face Czech Jakub Mensik in the first semi-final. In the second match, the two Italians Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi will face each other. Both matches will take place on Friday, before the women's final on Saturday and the men's final on Sunday.

Andrejewa seized the opportunity and converted her first match point after 1:09 hours. She thanked the audience and went directly to her coaching bench, where Martínez embraced her warmly. The 19-year-old had impressed during the tournament with her consistent serve and strong footwork, among other things.

For Kostjuk, the tournament ended with a historic success despite the clear defeat: for the first time in her career, she reached a Grand Slam semi-final. Her world ranking will nevertheless improve significantly by reaching the semi-finals, regardless of the outcome of the remaining matches.