A major upset at Roland Garros: Ukraine’s Starodubtseva knocks out the world No. 2
28 May 02:21
Ukrainian tennis player Yulia Starodubtseva pulled off one of the biggest upsets at Roland Garros 2026. In the second-round match, she defeated the world’s No. 2 player, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, and advanced to the third round of the Grand Slam tournament in Paris. This was reported by “Suspilne. Sport,” according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The match ended in three sets with a score of 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 in favor of the Ukrainian. Starodubtseva won the decisive tiebreak 10-4. The match lasted about two and a half hours.
Starodubtseva defeated one of the favorites at Roland Garros
Yulia Starodubtseva, ranked 55th in the WTA rankings, faced one of the main title contenders—Elena Rybakina—in the second round of Roland Garros.
The start of the match was difficult for the Ukrainian. She lost the first set 3-6, but after that she was able to completely turn the tide of the match. In the second set, Starodubtseva confidently seized the initiative and conceded only one game to her opponent—6-1.
The match was decided in the third set. The Ukrainian held her nerve, took the set to a tiebreak, and confidently closed out the match 7-6.
First victory over a top-5 opponent
For Starodubtseva, this victory was special. Reuters notes that the Ukrainian had previously never defeated a top-10 player, and her success against Rybakina marked her first victory over a player ranked in the top five.
Rybakina entered Roland Garros as the tournament’s second seed and one of the favorites. According to Reuters, she committed 71 unforced errors in the match against Starodubtseva, which the Ukrainian was able to capitalize on.
How Starodubtseva advanced through the first two rounds
In the first round of Roland Garros 2026, Starodubtseva defeated “neutral” Russian Anna Blinkova with a score of 6-3, 6-1. It was her first main-draw victory at a Grand Slam tournament this season.
After that, the Ukrainian faced a much stronger opponent—world No. 2 Rybakina. Despite being the underdog, Starodubtseva played one of the best matches of her career and sensationally knocked the favorite out of the tournament.
Ukrainian women continue their fight in Paris
Starodubtseva’s victory wasn’t the only big news for Ukrainian tennis at Roland Garros. Marta Kostyuk also advanced to the third round of the tournament. In the second round, she defeated Ukrainian-American Katie Volynets in three sets.
The match lasted 2 hours and 44 minutes and proved to be a tough test for Kostyuk. In the third round, the Ukrainian tennis player is set to face Swiss player Victoria Golubic, who is ranked 82nd in the world.
Svitolina also advanced to the third round
Another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, secured her second victory at Roland Garros 2026. In the second round, she defeated Spain’s Caitlin Quevedo in two sets.
Svitolina won the first set very confidently—6-0. In the second set, her opponent put up a fight and even led for a while, but the Ukrainian regained the initiative and closed out the match 6-4.
Reuters also notes that Svitolina and Kostyuk continued the successful run of Ukrainian players at the tournament in Paris.
Daria Snigur ended her run
Meanwhile, Daria Snigur has ended her run at Roland Garros 2026. In the second round, she lost to American Peyton Sterns.
The Ukrainian lost the first set 4-6. In the second set, Sterns completely dominated and did not concede a single game to Snigur—0-6.
Despite the loss, this tournament was significant for Snigur: in the first round, she secured her debut victory in the main draw of Roland Garros.
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