PARIS, France — World number two Elena Rybakina has suffered a shock second-round defeat at the French Open, falling to 55th-ranked Yuliia Starodubtseva in the biggest upset of the tournament so far.
Despite clinching the opening set, the reigning Australian Open champion looked far from her clinical best as her Ukrainian opponent mounted a brilliant comeback to win 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4) on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
The early exit carries heavy consequences for the top of the women’s game. Rybakina needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Paris to have a mathematical chance of dethroning Aryna Sabalenka. Her defeat ensures Sabalenka will retain her world number one ranking, regardless of how she performs at Roland Garros.
A Performance to Forget
Rybakina, 26, is renowned for her formidable serve and precise baseline hitting, but her game completely unravelled as the match progressed under the intense Parisian sun.
The Kazakh standard-bearer endured a miserable day on court, hit by glaring technical struggles:
- Unforced Errors: She committed a staggering 71 unforced errors over the course of the three sets.
- Service Struggles: She managed to land just 53% of her first serves.
- Early Deficit: After racing into a comfortable 5-1 lead in the first set, she went on to lose nine of the next 10 games as Starodubtseva seized control.
“It’s just a pity, because I think I was practising well before the French Open,” a disappointed Rybakina said afterwards. “Today it was a very bad performance with too many unforced errors.”
Battling the Elements
With temperatures soaring into the mid-30s Celsius on Wednesday, the heat played a visible factor in the rhythm of the match. While Rybakina insisted she did not feel physically unwell, she admitted the conditions severely hampered her high-velocity playing style.
“Definitely when it’s so hot, the ball is flying. It’s very difficult to control,” she explained. “Especially me being always aggressive, trying to play fast and step in, if you don’t give enough spin or if your hands are not as fast, the ball is flying everywhere.”
Though Rybakina showed glimpses of resilience—clawing her way back from a double-break deficit in the final set to force a tie-break—a double fault on the very first point of the decider set a negative tone. Starodubtseva capitalised immediately, playing aggressively to claim the defining tie-break 10-4.
Giant-Killer Strikes Again
The result marks the earliest exit Rybakina has made from a Grand Slam since the 2024 Australian Open, and it is the first time she has failed to reach the third round in Paris since 2020.
For Starodubtseva, however, it is the continuation of a remarkable knack for giant-killing at Roland Garros. The Ukrainian pulled off an almost identical feat last year when she dumped out the 2024 runner-up and fourth seed, Jasmine Paolini, in the second round.
“I’m super happy,” Starodubtseva said. “Elena is one of the top players, she’s had an incredible year and I’m super proud of myself that I was able to do this.”
The world number 55 will now look to carry her momentum into the third round, where she is scheduled to face China’s Wang Xiyu.
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