No handshake and no photo as Mirra Andreeva of Russia beats Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine to reach French Open tennis final.
Published On 4 Jun 20264 Jun 2026
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3 in a tense encounter at the French Open.
Andreeva converted her first match point when she served for the tennis match on Thursday.
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There was no post-match handshake between the pair, however, and Kostyuk walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier, where some fans were draped in Ukrainian flags.
The atmosphere beforehand was somewhat tense as the players had separate photos taken as they each stood next to two children on their respective sides of the net. Usually, the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net.
Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during the tournament about the impact Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine is having on their country.
The eighth seed seized control from the outset and never loosened her grip on the contest, overwhelming Kostyuk with her depth and aggression on Court Philippe-Chatrier to set up a title clash against compatriot Diana Shnaider or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
Andreeva, 19, raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set and barely looked back in the third meeting between the two players, the Ukrainian having won the first two.
Kostyuk briefly threatened to make a contest of it in the second set, but the Russian swiftly snuffed out any hopes of a comeback before serving out the match to complete a dominant display.
“I’m still very nervous, very nervous coming to this match as she’s had an amazing season, she hadn’t lost on clay, so that put pressure,” said Andreeva.
“She’s an amazing player, a tough opponent, so I’m super happy with the way I played. I’m happy I got revenge for the Madrid final, and to reach my first Grand Slam final.
“All of these feelings combined, I’ve never felt anything like this. I’m very excited about the last match here in Paris.”
Top-seeded Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori of Italy won the mixed doubles final earlier Thursday, beating Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Evan King of the US 4-6, 6-3, 10-4.
An Italian is guaranteed to be in Sunday’s men’s French Open singles final, with Flavio Cobolli facing fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Friday in the first Grand Slam semifinal for both players.
EUROVISION fever is back in full effect as the 70th Song Contest kicks off at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle tonight.
The first semi-final will see 15 countries battle it out for 10 spots the Grand Final.
In short – no.
Aside from enjoying the show, UK viewers are unable to take part in tonight’s Eurovision semi-final.
This is because we have been drawn into the second semi-final on Thursday May 14, 2026.
Eurovision rules state that you can only vote in the semi-final in which your country is performing.
That means Brits will have to wait until Thursday to vote, when viewers can have their say alongside France and host nation Austria, as well as the 15 competing nations.
UK viewers will be able to vote on Thursday.
Don’t worry, as full instructions will flash up on screen during the BBC broadcast.
The official website explains: “If you’re in a participating country, you can vote by phone or SMS.
“The instructions you will need will be on the screen during the broadcast, and you can also find them at esc.vote.
“Voting opens after the last song has been performed. You can vote up to 10 times, and you’ll have around 18 minutes to do so. Use your power wisely.”
You cannot vote for the UK’s own entry, in line with long-standing Eurovision rules designed to prevent home-nation advantage.
The UK is a member of the Eurovision Big Five alongside France, Germany, Italy and Spain, all of whom automatically qualify for the Grand Final.
These nations are are the biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – the organisation that runs Eurovision.
That pre-qualified status means the UK does not have to fight its way through the semi-finals, but is instead allocated to broadcast and vote in one of the two semis.
For 2026, Germany and Italy were drawn into the first semi-final, while the UK and France will join Austria in the second.
Spain has, however, pulled out of the contest entirely in protest of Israel’s participation amid the Gaza war, alongside Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
The Eurovision 2026 semi-finals will take place ahead of Saturday’s showpiece, with 30 of the 35 nations battling it out for 20 Grand Final spots.
Both start at 8pm and are live on BBC One and iPlayer, with the first on tonight – Tuesday, May 12 – and the second following on Thursday, May 14.
Rylan and Angela Scanlon will be providing commentary from the Wiener Stadthalle during both semis.
The order for the first semi-final is as follows:
While the schedule for the second semi-final is:
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Tesla (TSLA) has announced its first Semi electric truck off its new high-volume production line at Gigafactory Nevada.
“First Semi off high volume line,” the electric vehicle maker posted on X. According to its website, deliveries are expected to start this year.
