Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina crashed out of the French Open in the second round on Wednesday after suffering a stunning defeat to unseeded Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva.
The world number two squandered a one-set advantage at Roland Garros, eventually falling 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/4) in a dramatic contest on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“Honestly, it’s hard to describe — I’m super happy,” said world number 55 Starodubtseva after claiming the biggest win of her career and her first victory over a top-10 opponent.
“I’m super proud of myself that I was able to do this today. It was a tricky third set, but I got it done in the end.”
The defeat marked Rybakina’s earliest exit from a WTA tournament since the 2025 Miami Open and her first loss within the opening two rounds of a Grand Slam since the 2024 Australian Open.
Starodubtseva will next face either in-form American 26th seed Hailey Baptiste or China’s Wang Xiyu for a place in the last 16.
The Ukrainian has already equalled her best Grand Slam performance, having reached the third round at Roland Garros last year as a lucky loser before losing to Jasmine Paolini.
Rybakina appeared in complete control early on in the sweltering Paris heat, racing to a 5-1 lead before comfortably taking the opening set.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as Starodubtseva stormed through the opening five games before levelling the match with a dominant display.
Rybakina’s struggles continued in the deciding set as she quickly fell 3-0 behind after losing serve twice.
The Kazakh fought back impressively, recovering one break before saving two more break points to narrow the deficit to 3-2.
She eventually drew level at 4-4 after another break of serve just past the two-hour mark.
But Starodubtseva regained her composure when it mattered most, holding serve in the 12th game to force a tie-break.
The decisive breaker began disastrously for Rybakina with a double fault, allowing Starodubtseva to seize control and open up a commanding 6-2 advantage.
The Ukrainian sealed victory on her second match point when Rybakina sent a forehand wide.
“You can’t think it will be easy, even at 3-0 in the third set,” Starodubtseva said afterward.
“I was still thinking it might not be easy.”
AFP
