In a stunning turn of events at Roland Garros, second seed and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina has been knocked out of the French Open by Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva. The match, which concluded on Wednesday, saw Starodubtseva secure her first career top-10 victory with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4) win in sweltering conditions.
Starodubtseva's Career-Defining Win
World number 55 Starodubtseva delivered the performance of her life to overcome the former Wimbledon champion. After dropping the first set, she rallied impressively, breaking Rybakina's serve multiple times to force a deciding tiebreak. In the super tiebreak, Starodubtseva dominated, winning 10-4 to seal the biggest win of her career.
Rybakina's Roland Garros Struggles Continue
Despite winning a clay-court title earlier this season, Rybakina's early exit means she has still never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at the French Open in eight attempts. The loss also dashes her hopes of potentially replacing Aryna Sabalenka as world number one, depending on results in Paris. Her departure removes a key contender from four-time champion Iga Swiatek's side of the draw.
Ukrainian Success in Paris
Starodubtseva's victory marks her second consecutive year reaching the third round of the French Open. She joins compatriots Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk in the next stage, highlighting a strong Ukrainian presence in the women's singles draw.
