The 2026 Paris Roland Garros will forever be etched in the history of Ukrainian tennis. This year, our women did not just perform commendably—they overturned statistics and set records that will be studied in textbooks. The main hero of this triumph was Yulia Starodubtseva, whose victory over one of the world's best tennis players became a true revelation of the season.
A Sensation That Surpassed All Expectations
The second round of the tournament presented spectators with a genuine surprise. Yulia Starodubtseva, ranked 55th in the WTA world rankings, stepped onto the court against the world's second-ranked player—Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina. On paper, the chances seemed minimal, but in practice, the Ukrainian delivered a match of top-5 caliber. In a grueling three-set battle, Starodubtseva broke the resistance of the favorite and advanced to the next round.
This victory holds colossal historical significance. Until this moment, the most notable success for a Ukrainian on Parisian clay was Elina Svitolina's victory over fourth-ranked Jasmine Paolini in 2025. Starodubtseva did not merely replicate this achievement—she surpassed it by defeating an opponent with a significantly higher ranking. Throughout the entire history of Ukrainian participation in Roland Garros, there have been only three victories against top-5 players, and one of them belongs to Yulia.
Historic Presence on the Court
Starodubtseva's triumph was part of the national team's overall success. For the first time in the tournament's history, four Ukrainian tennis players reached the third round of Roland Garros (Round of 16). The previous record, set the year before, was three representatives from the country. Such a massive breakthrough occurs extremely rarely: in the history of Grand Slam tournaments, this is only the second time Ukrainian tennis has demonstrated such power simultaneously. The last time this happened was at the Australian Open in 2024.
This year, seven of our athletes started in the main draw of the Paris major. Unfortunately, the paths of Dayana Yastremska, Angelina Kalinina, and Daria Snigur ended earlier, but the remaining four contenders for the title proved that Ukrainian women's tennis is at the peak of its form.
What's Next: Opponents in the Round of 16
Now, new, no less complex tasks stand before the Ukrainian tennis players. In the third round, they must face the strongest opponents who are also breaking through to the tournament's playoffs. Each subsequent victory will bring them closer to the main goal—reaching the quarterfinals and, perhaps, achieving new historical milestones for the entire country.