Starodubtseva resets and topples Rybakina on clay
A Ukrainian ranked No. 55 twice trailed yet twice recovered, using a neutral mindset and varied patterns to hand the world No. 2 her earliest Roland Garros exit since 2020.
Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva produced the biggest upset of the tournament when she outlasted second seed Elena Rybakina in a third-set tiebreak at Roland Garros. The 26-year-old had never beaten a top-10 opponent in six prior attempts, yet she absorbed an early break in each set before finding the right blend of slice and heavy crosscourt drives to close a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4) victory.
Starodubtseva arrived in Paris after reaching her first WTA 500 final in Charleston and climbing from outside the top 100 to No. 55. That run gave her the belief she needed against an opponent who had collected 31 match wins, more than anyone else on tour this season.
I feel like if you are trying to beat one of the best, you have to think that you can beat the best. I was trying to go into this match with this mindset, try not to give too much respect.
Mental reset keeps points neutral
Rybakina broke early in the opener and served out the set 6-3 after building a 5-1 lead. Starodubtseva stayed compact on the slow surface, redirecting inside-out forehands down the line whenever the Kazakh tried to step inside the baseline.
The second set flipped quickly once Starodubtseva broke twice and raced to 5-0. She mixed underspin backhands with heavy topspin crosscourt drives, denying Rybakina the short balls she prefers for her one-two patterns. The set ended 6-1 in just 28 minutes.
UPSET ALERT 🚨
Yuliia Starodubtseva knocks out Elena Rybakina from the tournament 😱#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HxFqfWchZI— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2026
Clay rhythm forces error count higher
In the decider Starodubtseva again broke twice to reach 3-0. Rybakina fought back to level at 4-4, yet the Ukrainian refused to dwell on the lost lead. She simply reset the score in her mind at 3-all, treating every point as 0-0 from that moment onward.
Rybakina later noted the ball felt slippery on the hot clay and that her hands could not generate enough spin to stay in rhythm. The result was 71 unforced errors against only 23 winners, while Starodubtseva finished with 36 errors and 13 winners.
The tiebreak followed the same script. Starodubtseva jumped to a 6-2 lead with aggressive inside-in forehands and closed 10-4 without letting the earlier 3-0 advantage in the set affect her tempo. The match lasted two hours and 28 minutes.
Upward path continues past Paris
The victory sends Starodubtseva into the third round at Roland Garros for the second straight year, matching her best Grand Slam result. She spoke afterward about carrying the same mindset into future matches against top players.
Rybakina’s exit marks her earliest departure from Paris since 2020. For the Ukrainian the win supplies proof that disciplined shot selection and a willingness to start fresh each point can overcome raw power on clay. The result lifts her further in the WTA PIF Rankings and sets up a longer run on the European swing.
