Veronika Podrez, the Ukrainian tennis player who turned 19 in August 2026, secured an important victory at the start of the US Open qualifying tournament. In the qualifying quarterfinal, the 19-year-old defeated American Caroline Dolehide, ranked 245th in the WTA rankings, in three sets with a score of 6:2, 0:6, 6:3. The match, which lasted 1 hour and 59 minutes, marked the Ukrainian's debut in a Grand Slam qualifying draw in New York and brought several historic achievements to her professional career.

Match progression: from a confident start to a tense finish

The first set was played entirely to Podrez's dictation: the Ukrainian quickly seized the initiative, converted key break points, and closed the set 6:2. However, the picture changed sharply in the second set — Dolehide, playing on home turf, completely turned the game around and recorded a 'bagel' win 6:0, not giving her opponent a single game. The decisive third set once again became the highlight of the match: Podrez gathered her strength, regained control of the rallies, and pressed the American 6:3, clinching overall triumph in the match.

Statistics and key numbers of the match

In 119 minutes of play, Veronika Podrez hit 4 aces, committed 10 double faults, and converted 4 of the break points available to her. For comparison: it was precisely the conversion of breaks in the first and third sets that became the decisive factor, allowing the Ukrainian to compensate for losing the second set. The match was the first head-to-head meeting between the two players in their professional careers, so there is no precedent-based statistical record for comparison.

Historic achievements for the 19-year-old Ukrainian

The victory in New York was special for Podrez for several reasons. First, it is the first time in her professional career that she has won a match after dropping a set with a 'bagel' score of 0:6. Second, it is the second time the Ukrainian has won a match in a Grand Slam qualifying draw — previously she reached the second round of qualifying at Wimbledon 2026. Thus, the 19-year-old confirms that her progress in major qualifying tournaments is consistent, not a fluke.

Qualifying semifinal: the Andreescu test

In the US Open 2026 qualifying semifinal, Veronika Podrez will face one of the brightest figures in modern women's tennis — Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the former world No. 4 and 2019 US Open champion. For the Ukrainian, this will be a fundamentally different level of opponent: Andreescu holds a Grand Slam title, has experience in finals and ATP/WTA 1000 events, and enjoys a significant ranking advantage. The match will be a true test for the New York qualifying debutant.

Ukrainian tennis players in the qualifying of the season's final major

The US Open 2026 qualifying, which is the last Grand Slam qualifying tournament of the season, features three representatives of Ukraine. In addition to Veronika Podrez, Anastasia Soboleva and Vitaliy Sachko are also starting their campaigns in the qualifying draw. Thus, Ukrainian tennis is represented at all stages of the qualifying bracket, and fans will be able to follow the performances of three compatriots ahead of the main draw, which begins in early September 2026.