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World number two Elena Rybakina suffered a shock second-round exit at the French Open after losing to world number 55 Yuliia Starodubtseva in the tournament's biggest upset so far.
Rybakina appeared to be in control early on after taking the opening set, but her performance gradually declined as Starodubtseva produced an impressive comeback to secure a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4) victory.
The reigning Australian Open champion, known for her powerful serve and clean ball striking, struggled throughout the match and was unable to find her usual rhythm. She finished with 71 unforced errors and managed to land only 53 percent of her first serves, statistics that reflected an unusually inconsistent display.
The defeat marks the first time since 2020 that Kazakhstan's Rybakina has failed to progress beyond the second round at Roland Garros. It also represents her earliest Grand Slam exit since the Australian Open in 2024.
Rybakina's elimination also has implications for the world rankings. Aryna Sabalenka is now guaranteed to remain world number one regardless of her performance at the French Open. Rybakina had needed at least a semi-final appearance to have a chance of ending Sabalenka's lengthy spell at the top of the rankings.
After the match, the 26-year-old expressed disappointment with her performance, saying she had felt well prepared ahead of the tournament.
She admitted that she had been training strongly before the French Open but described her display as poor because of the high number of unforced errors.
Rybakina started brightly on Court Suzanne Lenglen and quickly raced into a 5-1 lead before her level began to drop. Although she closed out the first set, momentum shifted dramatically as Starodubtseva won nine of the next ten games to level the match and establish a 3-0 lead in the final set.
Rybakina managed to recover from a double break deficit and forced a deciding tie break, but she still struggled to look comfortable. A double fault on the opening point of the tie break set the tone as Starodubtseva continued attacking with confidence and sealed the biggest win of her career.
The Ukrainian now advances to the third round where she will face China's Wang Xiyu. Starodubtseva celebrated the result, saying she was proud to overcome one of the world's top players.
