Ukrainian tennis player Daria Yastremska ended her run at US Open 2026 already at the first-round stage. In the Round of 128, the 26-year-old lost to Italy's Lucrezia Stefanini, who had made her way into the main draw through qualifying. The match lasted more than two hours and ended with a score of 6:3, 4:6, 6:1 in favor of the Italian representative.
First set: Stefanini's surge
The start of the match was even: tight competition unfolded on the court, and the score reached 3:3. However, it was precisely after this balanced stretch that Stefanini managed to win three games in a row and take the first set — 6:3, leaving her opponent no chance to turn things around.
Second set: the gap and the rescue
The two players also began the second set with even play. At 2:2, it was Yastremska who made the surge, winning three games in a row and edging closer to taking the set. Stefanini, however, managed to narrow the gap, and the decisive tenth game went to the Ukrainian — 6:4. This was the only set Yastremska won in the match.
Third set and health problems
In the deciding set, Yastremska managed to win only one game, losing 1:6. It is worth noting separately that the Ukrainian played with neck problems: during the match she took three medical timeouts and consulted a physiotherapist. Despite this, the encounter lasted more than two hours.
Statistics and context
The early exit marked the fifth time since 2020 that Yastremska has failed to get past the first round of the US Open (once she lost at the qualifying stage). Her best result at this tournament remains reaching the third round in 2019. According to the source, this loss was the 26-year-old's fourth. Against the backdrop of this poor start, it is worth noting that another Ukrainian tennis player, Marta Kostyuk, on the contrary, easily got past the first round of US Open 2026.
