Jacquemot Outlasts Kostyuk in Epic Australian Open Thriller
Elsa Jacquemot saved a match point and endured a 3-hour-31-minute battle to claim her first Top 20 win over Marta Kostyuk, marking the Australian Open’s first triple-tiebreak decider in the Open Era and setting the tone for a draw full of comebacks.
On Melbourne’s hard courts, Elsa Jacquemot turned a daunting deficit into triumph, defeating No. 20 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6[7] in the Australian Open first round. The 60th-ranked Frenchwoman, a 2020 Roland Garros junior champion who entered the Top 100 last year, saved one match point while down a set and 5-3, prevailing in the longest match of 2026 so far. This historic upset, the tournament’s first triple-tiebreak in the Open Era, highlighted Jacquemot’s defensive grit against Kostyuk’s early-season firepower from Brisbane.
Kostyuk had stormed into the year with three Top 10 victories en route to the Brisbane final, her pre-season strength work aiming for a Top 10 ranking. But fluidity gave way to frustration as she racked up 67 winners alongside 68 unforced errors, her inside-out forehands often drifting wide on the rebound-ace surface. Jacquemot lured her into over-pressing with deep retrievals and well-timed counters, including ferocious forehand returns that erased a 5-3 lead in the second set.
“I won it with the heart and with the guts,” Jacquemot told press afterwards.
Second-set surge shifts the momentum
As Kostyuk served for the match at 5-3, her 1–2 pattern of serve and forehand met resistance from Jacquemot’s low, skidding backhand slice, forcing errors in the longer rallies. The Frenchwoman’s crosscourt passing shots neutralized net rushes, and she sealed the set tiebreak with composure, her heavy topspin now controlling the tempo. This pivot exposed Kostyuk’s vulnerability on the medium-paced hard courts, where the ball’s grip amplified Jacquemot’s underspin to pull opponents off-balance.
The crowd’s energy built with each exchange, the humid air thickening the tension as Jacquemot fended off match point at 6-5 with a service winner. Her movement, honed on clay but adapting to the bounce, turned defense into opportunities for inside-in winners. By forcing a decider, she had flipped the psychological script, easing the pressure of a breakthrough season.
Ankle roll fuels tiebreak chaos
Serving at 6-5 in the third, Kostyuk rolled her ankle, calling for a medical timeout that paused the mounting drama. She returned taped and pushed to a tiebreak, but her volleys faltered early, allowing Jacquemot to grab a 5-1 lead with precise down-the-line shots. Kostyuk rallied to 7-7, yet two thunderous forehand blasts from Jacquemot earned match point, ending when Kostyuk netted a drop shot in a tense final rally.
This scoreline joined rare company as only the fifth triple-tiebreak Grand Slam match in the Open Era, following Steffi Graf’s 1985 US Open quarterfinal over Pam Shriver at 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(4); Gigi Fernandez’s 1991 US Open third-round win against Leila Meskhi, 7-6(1), 6-7(3), 7-6(2); Rebeka Masarova’s 2021 US Open first-round escape from Ana Bogdan, 6-7(9), 7-6(2), 7-6[9]; and Ekaterina Alexandrova’s 2023 Wimbledon second-round victory over Madison Brengle, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 7-6[7]. The Australian Open adopted third-set tiebreaks in 2019, making such epics possible here beyond the US Open’s long-standing rule. At tour level, it’s the 13th this decade and the second of 2026, after Madison Keys’ 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-6(5) defeat of Diana Shnaider in the Brisbane third round.
Jacquemot’s path now crosses with Yulia Putintseva, who rallied from a set and break down to beat Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in 2 hours and 53 minutes on Court 6, near the rambunctious Courtside Bar. The Kazakhstani’s banter with the lively crowd sparked throughout, her dynamic turning electric after the win.
“It’s Yulia Putintseva time”
- Yulia Putintseva
pic.twitter.com/Dws9HzlUCJ— Barstool Tennis (@StoolTennis) January 18, 2026
Putintseva approached the net with a hip shimmy, then delivered a florid bow complete with a theatrical twirl, signaling what could be the tournament’s most memorable celebration. Her former No. 20 status and crowd-harnessing style set up a second-round clash with Jacquemot, where defensive tenacity meets emotional flair on the hard courts.
Another seed fell as No. 32 Marketa Vondrousova withdrew due to ongoing shoulder issues from 2024 surgery that sidelined her for six months. The former Wimbledon champion’s decision prioritized health in a demanding calendar.
I’m really sorry that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues. After everything I’ve been dealing with, I need to prioritize my health, even though this decision wasn’t easy. Thank you all for your understanding and support.
Lucky loser Taylor Townsend took her place but lost 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 to Hailey Baptiste, illustrating how injuries reshape the draw’s early chaos. For the latest developments, follow the Scores, Draws, and Order of play. Jacquemot’s upset vaults her toward the Top 50, her blend of retrieval and clutch aggression promising deeper runs amid a field favoring adapters over pure power.
