The first round of the prestigious grass tournament Wimbledon 2026 in London gave spectators and fans a grand surprise. A true sensation occurred in the history of Ukrainian tennis: Daria Snegur (WTA 77) defeated the leader of the national team, Elina Svitolina (WTA 8). This marked the first-ever head-to-head meeting between the two tennis players on court.
From crushing deficit to triumph
The Ukrainian derby at the start of the tournament began according to a scenario that seemed completely predictable. The more experienced Elina Svitolina seized the initiative from the first minutes, demonstrating her signature aggressive play. She quickly took a 4:0 lead, and it seemed that the outcome of the first set was already decided.
However, the 24-year-old from Kyiv, Daria Snegur, performed a real miracle. She managed to seize the initiative, played maximally cleanly from the baseline, and answered her opponent with a series of five consecutive games won. After that, Snegur calmly closed the set on her own serve with a score of 7:5.
Epic victory in an hour
The second set became a complete benefit for Snegur, which she finished in just 29 minutes. Svitolina tried to impose a fight and even led slightly at the start (2:1), but after that, she completely fell out of the game. Daria again delivered a stunning series of five consecutive games won, completing an epic victory in a match that lasted only 1 hour and 8 minutes.
For Daria Snegur, this success was special: she played her fourth match against representatives of the WTA world top-10 ranking and secured her third super-victory.
Historic breakthrough for Ukrainian tennis
Thanks to this bright triumph, Snegur became only the second Ukrainian woman to advance to the second round of the singles draw at Wimbledon 2026. The day before, this barrier was successfully overcome by Dayana Yastremska.
In the next round of the competition on the London grass, the Kyiv resident will play against the Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean (WTA 132). This match will be a new test for the young tennis player, who has proven that she is capable of defeating even the strongest opponents.