French Open suffers upset as second-ranked Rybakina makes early exit

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan struggled to contain her emotions during a pivotal moment in her women's singles match against Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva on May 27, 2026, at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris, specifically on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

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The Australian Open champion, Elena Rybakina, suffered a stunning loss in the second round of the French Open, falling to unseeded Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva in a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday.

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Rybakina, the world number two, squandered a one-set advantage, ultimately losing 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, with the final set tiebreaker score being 10/4, in a disappointing display at Roland Garros.

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Following her remarkable victory, world number 55 Starodubtseva expressed her elation, stating, "Honestly, hard to describe, I'm super happy," as she reflected on beating a top-10 opponent for the first time in her career.

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Starodubtseva further emphasized her pride in her accomplishment, saying, "I'm super proud of myself that I was able to do this today," and acknowledged the challenges she faced, particularly in the third set, noting, "It was a tricky third set but I got it done in the end."

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This loss marks Rybakina's earliest exit from any WTA tournament since the 2025 Miami Open and her first defeat in the opening two rounds of a major since the 2024 Australian Open.

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Starodubtseva will now face either American 26th seed Hailey Baptiste or China's Wang Xiyu in the next round, vying for a spot in the last 16, having already matched her previous best run at a Grand Slam event.

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Her previous best performance was in the French Open third round 12 months ago, where she lost to Jasmine Paolini as a lucky loser.

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Rybakina initially took control of the match, swiftly taking a 5-1 lead on Court Suzanne Lenglen before securing the opening set with ease.

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However, her momentum was short-lived, as an inspired Starodubtseva dominated the first five games of the second set, taking it with conviction and forcing the match into a deciding set.

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Rybakina found herself on the back foot, losing the first three games of the decider and facing a double-break deficit, but she managed to regain her composure and fight back.

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She successfully broke back and then fended off two break points to narrow the gap to 3-2, showcasing her resilience in the face of adversity.

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As the clock struck the two-hour mark, Rybakina secured another break, leveling the third set at 4-4 and setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion.

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Starodubtseva, however, refused to yield, holding serve in the 12th game to force a tiebreaker and determine the match's outcome.

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The deciding tie-break began with a Rybakina double fault, and Starodubtseva quickly capitalized, taking a 6-2 lead and putting herself in a strong position to win.

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She ultimately sealed the biggest win of her career on her second match point when Rybakina hit a forehand wide, securing a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 victory.

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Reflecting on her strategy, Starodubtseva noted, "You can't be thinking it will be easy, even at 3-0 (in the third set), I was thinking this might still not be easy," highlighting her focused approach to the match.