Karolína Muchová locked up the last qualifying spot for the 2026 WTA Finals on Wednesday without even stepping onto the court. The world No. 7 punched her ticket to Indian Wells after Marta Kostyuk retired from her second-round match at the 2026 Ningbo Open, trailing Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 after one set when she pulled out due to injury.

Marta Kostyuk's Injury Opens Door for Karolína Muchová

Kostyuk has been managing a right wrist problem that kept her out of the China Open earlier this month, and a first-round loss in Wuhan last week left the No. 3 seed with almost no margin. She entered the week 815 points behind Muchová in the WTA standings race, meaning only a run to the Ningbo final would have kept her hopes alive.

With that door now closed, Muchová will head to Indian Wells for her first career year-end championship when the 2026 WTA Finals begin November 8th.

Muchová 's Strong Season to End in Indian Wells

The 30-year-old Czech has built a strong case all season, picking up hardware at Doha and Bad Homburg while reaching the Wimbledon final. She joins Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, and Linda Nosková in the eight-player field.

Marta Kostyuk scored a quarterfinal berth at the 2026 Guadalajara Open before even stepping foot onto the WTA court. The top-seeded Ukrainian received a second-round walkover for the WTA 500 event after Taylor Townsend withdrew to undergo emergency surgery.

Mystery Illness Derails Taylor Townsend's Tournament Hopes

Townsend shared the news via Instagram, writing, "This s*** definitely wasn't on my bingo card. Through trials and tribulations… still I rise."

The withdrawal cut short what had been a promising week for the US star. Just days earlier, Townsend fought back from a first-set tiebreak loss to beat Tatjana Maria 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round.

Before that, she and doubles partner Kateřina Siniaková completed a career Grand Slam by winning the 2026 US Open title. The pair have now captured all four major doubles trophies across three seasons.

Marta Kostyuk Look to Capitalize on Guadalajara Open Walkover

Meanwhile, Kostyuk's path through the draw has been relatively quiet so far.

The world No. 10 earned a first-round bye and now advances to face eighth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova, who edged past Kayla Day in a tight three-setter.

Among other WTA scores from the tournament's second round, No. 2 seed Iva Jovic topped Zeynep Sonmez 7-6(5), 6-4, and Magdalena Frech eliminated Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 6-3.

Marta Kostyuk beat former champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5 in the second round at the US Open 2026 on Wednesday. The No. 11 seed cruised through a lopsided first set, then weathered a much tighter second to reach the third round.

Stephens, who won the title here in 2017, clawed back after dropping the opener. She broke serve to pull level at 5-5 in the second set and earned a set point to force a decider. But Kostyuk saved it and broke right back, closing the match on her terms.

"I tried to go for my shots and I think it's all that matters in the important moments," Kostyuk said afterward.

Sloane Stephens & Marta Kostyuk Share US Open History

The two share deeper roots at this venue as well. In 2017, a teenage Kostyuk won the US Open junior doubles title on the same day Stephens lifted the singles trophy.

Nearly a decade later, the Ukrainian star now leads their head-to-head 2-0. She also beat Stephens 7-5, 7-5 at the Cincinnati Open just two weeks earlier.

Kostyuk finished with eight aces and 30 winners on Wednesday, tripling Stephens's total of 10. She next faces No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova as she aims to surpass her career-best fourth-round run from 2025.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams reunited on court Monday for the first time in nearly four years. The sisters entered the 2026 Cincinnati Open as wildcards but fell to Peyton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk in a first-round doubles match that went the distance.

Venus and Serena Williams Push Match to a Super Tiebreak

Kostyuk and Stearns took the opener 6-2 behind steady baseline pressure. But the Williams sisters answered in the second, breaking serve early and rolling to a 6-1 finish.

Then came the match tiebreak. Down 6-0, Serena and Venus refused to fold, dragging the score back to 8-7 and later 9-8. On the next point, a double fault from Venus ended the comeback.

Williams Sisters Make a Splash at the 2026 Cincinnati Open

For Serena, 44, the loss marked her first doubles pairing with Venus since the 2022 US Open, though both sisters have been chasing singles returns this year. Venus, 46, has taken wildcards into her 2026 events, and Serena followed her back onto tour at Wimbledon last month. She's currently weighing a US Open run.

Despite the loss, Serena kept the mood light.

"We kicked off a little rust in the middle of the match and just, you know [were] starting to feel it," Williams said.

"I didn't come out here to win this tournament. Winning is obviously great. But in this position just, you know, having fun. It was really cool to be able to do this again."

Marta Kostyuk scored a comeback WTA win, ousting Canada's Katherine Sebov 7-6 (4), 6-0 from Tuesday's 2026 Canadian Open.

27-year-old wildcard Sebov put the No. 10 seed under immediate pressure at Sobeys Stadium. She broke Kostyuk twice and built a 4-1 cushion. But the Ukrainian star found her rhythm, clawing back to pull level at four games apiece.

Marta Kostyuk Overcomes Early Deficit in Canadian Open 2nd Round

Sebov went ahead 5-4 on serve, only for Kostyuk to drag the set into a tiebreak. Three mini-breaks there settled it.

"When you play somebody that high-level, the window is very small," the world No. 229 said.

That window shut for good in the second set. Kostyuk broke in all three of Sebov's service games, taking the set 6-0 in just over 30 minutes.

The result fits a pattern for the Ukrainian breakout. Kostyuk captured her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open this year, before reaching back-to-back Grand Slam semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Aryna Sabalenka Dominates in Post-Wimbledon Toronto Return

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also advanced Tuesday in her return to hard-court play.

She topped qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 6-3. WTA scores across the draw will continue to take shape as the tournament pushes into the week's second half.

Mirra Andreeva is headed to her first Grand Slam final. The 19-year-old world No. 8 defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 in the 2026 Roland Garros semifinals on Thursday in just 76 minutes.

Kostyuk entered the French Open semifinal riding a 17-match clay court winning streak.

However, her campaign ended with Andreeva, who had lost to Kostyuk in straight sets at both the Brisbane quarterfinals in January and the Madrid final in April. This time, though, she flipped the result.

Andreeva vs. Kostyuk Semifinal: Unforced Errors Earn Teen the Win

Kostyuk dropped serve in the opening game after two double faults and a backhand into the net. Andreeva also faced trouble early, fighting off three break points in her first service game.

But the teenager held her nerve and pulled away, turning a 4-0 lead into a 6-1 first set.

Kostyuk steadied briefly in the second set, breaking to get within 4-3. But an uncharacteristic 34 unforced errors throughout the match helped Andreeva stay on top.

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The Ukrainian star dedicated her surprising 2026 French Open run to her country after her family faced a Russian missile scare earlier in the tournament.

Andreeva, meanwhile, is now the third-youngest women's tennis player to reach the Roland Garros final since 2000.

She came into the tournament with 20 clay court wins in 2026 — more than any other semifinalist. Through six rounds in Paris, she lost only one set, giving up just 32 games.

With her win against Kostyuk, Andreeva said she's feeling more focused.

"I'm getting older, a little bit more mature every match I play, a little bit more experience," she said postmatch. "I think that now I'm able to approach every match differently and try to really focus on the opponent that I'm gonna play against."

2026 French Open Sets Up Andreeva vs Chwalińska Final

Mirra Andreeva will face Maja Chwalińska in the 2026 French Open final, after the Polish qualifier upset No. 25 Diana Shnaider in Thursday's other semifinal.

The championship match takes place on Saturday, live on TNT.

After ousting Poland's Magda Linette from Roland Garros, world No. 3 Iga Świątek is gearing up to face the 2026 clay season's most in-form player — Marta Kostyuk — in the fourth round.

The highly anticipated matchup pits world four-time French Open champion Świątek against Kostyuk’s 15-match clay-court winning streak.

Clay Specialist Iga Świątek Looks to Defend Roland Garros Record

Despite Kostyuk's recent prowess, Świątek remains the gold standard on the red dirt.

The Polish star boasts a 93% win rate at the annual Paris Grand Slam, adding to a 43-3 tournament record. Only Chris Evert and Steffi Graf have claimed more French Open titles.

Świątek booked her spot in the Round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-4 third-round win over compatriot Magda Linette, avenging a recent Miami Open defeat.

However, the former world No. 1 faces a new test as the tournament turns to its second week.

Kostyuk earned her spot in the French Open's Round of 16 by playing some of the best tennis of her career. The Ukrainian international has dominated the surface this season, building her winnings streak on raw power and defensive grit.

Of course, the athletes have met before. Świątek has yet to drop a set to the Ukrainian across three professional encounters — including a 6-3, 6-4 2021 French Open fourth-round victory.

2026 French Open: Where to Watch Iga Świątek vs Marta Kostyuk

Świątek will meet Kostyuk on Sunday, May 31st, live on TNT Sports.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk advanced to the second round of the 2026 French Open on Sunday, managing to successfully overcome a difficult morning on the home front.

Hours before her Roland Garros matchup, a Russian missile strike nearly destroyed her family home in Kyiv, as the Ukraine war continues to make headlines around the world.

Russian Missile Strike Narrowly Misses French Open Star's Family

According to reports, Marta Kostyuk received photos of the blast just three hours before taking the court.

The photographs showed a burning high-rise building some 100 meters away from her family home. Her mother, sister, and aunt were all inside the residence during the attack.

The bombardment was part of a wave of drone and missile strikes launched across Ukraine. The overnight attacks killed four people and injured approximately 83 others in the capital city.

Despite the emotional distress, the 15th seed defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 in 78 minutes, hitting 20 winners during the match. Afterward, she explained that the ongoing conflict with Russia made focusing nearly impossible.

"I felt sick just for the thought that if it was 100 meters closer, I probably wouldn't have a mum and a sister today," Kostyuk said postmatch.

The 23-year-old went on to express pride in her resilience, crediting the strength of the Ukrainian people for inspiring her to take the court in Paris.

Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk won the ATX Open in Austin on Sunday and then refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent. 

Kosytuk defeated Varvara Gracheva in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, to win her WTA first title. But her refusal to acknowledge Gracheva after the match should not come as a surprise: She said at the Australian Open in January that she would not shake hands with any Russian or Belarusian opponent as the war continues in her home country.

At the US Open last September, she did not shake hands with Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. The country is being used as a staging ground for Russia in support of that country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

During the trophy presentation, Kostyuk dedicated her first WTA singles title to her country. She did not acknowledge Gracheva in her speech.

“Being in the position that I am in right now, it’s extremely special to win this title,” Kostyuk said. “And I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and to all the people that are fighting and dying right now.”