Marta Kostyuk is enjoying a promising run at the 2026 French Open, riding the momentum of her Madrid Open triumph to reach the fourth round with only one set lost along the way. However, the Ukrainian’s dominant third-round victory was overshadowed by the debate stirred by a controversial tactic she employed during the match.
Why Marta Kostyuk Stirred Controversy with Her Underarm Serve at the French Open
No. 15 seed Kostyuk locked horns with Viktorija Golubic in the third round of the French Open and cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 victory. In the process, the Ukrainian, who has yet to lose on clay this season, extended her winning streak to 15 matches.
However, it was a controversial moment from the contest that dominated the post-match discourse. During one of her service games, Kostyuk tossed the ball twice without following through on the overhead serve before unexpectedly opting for an underarm serve. The move caught Golubic by surprise, and her return landed out.
guys… https://t.co/S0FeXJddbR pic.twitter.com/KzyQYYud5m
— Sithelo (@Sithelosenkosi) May 29, 2026
The clip of the incident quickly went viral online, racking up 12 million views and over 75,000 likes on X. It also left the tennis community divided, with a debate raging over whether the tactic was in line with the spirit of the game. Some fans welcomed the clever “mind games” despite the controversy.
“F**king mind games… I love her already,” one fan wrote.
“One thing about Kostyuk she’s going to get herself into a controversy, I like it tho, the Nextgen players nowadays are too nice-,” another fan chimed in.
One fan also questioned why the underhand serve is not used more frequently, while another wondered why the tactic is considered “disrespectful.”
“Not sure why it’s not used more actually? The “normal” serve is so convoluted, turning players into contortionists. Why is that one seemingly preferred by players?” a fan commented.
“I don’t even know why some people finds it disrespectful btw,” said another.
However, not everyone was on board with the move. One fan conceded that Kostyuk adhered to the rules but still criticized the strategy as “sneaky.”
“She is within the serve time limit and an underarm serve is allowed. HOWEVER- why does the underarm serve look sneaky? She pretended to go for a third overhead serve then VERY QUICKLY served underarm. Very sneaky but not illegal. I don’t like it- feels like dirty laundry play,” the fan wrote.
Another fan argued that the Ukrainian should’ve been penalized, citing Andy Roddick’s view that failing to strike the ball after tossing it should be deemed a fault.
“I generally like Kostyuk but this should probably have been a time violation. Also, I like Andy Roddick’s view on this: the toss is part of the serve. If you don’t hit the toss, it should be a fault,” the user posted.
“Im a big Kostyuk fan but i feel like a redo toss should be illegal, for sure a double redo is ridiculous,” said another.
Marta Kostyuk Opens Up About Facing Iga Świątek Next at the French Open
Kostyuk is relishing the prospect of testing herself against No. 3 seed Świątek in the fourth round of the French Open, despite entering the contest as the “underdog.”
“I lost to her 3 times, one of which was during junior years. I’m very excited for this match. I wanted to play her. She loves to play here obviously, but I have every chance. I’m an underdog in this match for sure. I’m gonna go out there and enjoy it as much as I can,” she said in her post-match press conference.
Having lost comprehensively in all three of their previous tour-level encounters, Kostyuk said even taking a set off the four-time Roland Garros champion would provide her with immense satisfaction.
“But I’m still the person who lost to her three times, and she’s won this tournament four times. I would love to be the one who is a favorite in this match, but I still don’t think it’s the case, even though I have this really long streak. But it’s not going to ruin my day or ruin my game. I still want to go out and try my best and enjoy. Like, I have never taken a set off her. Even if I win one set in the next match, I’m going to be very happy. That’s how I look at it, and I’m excited for this match,” she added.
The winner of the much-awaited contest between Marta Kostyuk and Iga Świątek will face either No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina or No. 11 seed Belinda Bencic in a blockbuster quarterfinal clash at the clay-court Major.
