2026 has been a season of genuine breakthroughs for Yuliia Starodubtseva. The Ukrainian tennis player reached the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston, climbed to the highest position of her career in the world rankings, and caused a sensation at Roland Garros by defeating Elena Rybakina, who was then the world No. 2. At the US Open, Starodubtseva made it to the fourth round, where she faced the Kazakh player for the second time that season and this time lost in two sets. In an interview with Sport RBC.UA, the athlete talked about the psychological changes after big wins, matches against top opponents, the main lesson from her encounter with Rybakina at the US Open, her desire to break into the top 30, as well as about her hometown, which she has not been able to visit since 2022, and about Ukraine, which she misses during her constant travels.
A breakthrough season: from Charleston to the fourth round of the US Open
In Starodubtseva's own words, Charleston was a good start to the year and gave her a lot of confidence. “2026 has brought me new achievements, emotions and experience. Every year you want to achieve something greater, and right now it feels like I am taking steps in the right direction. Even if you judge it simply by the ranking,” she noted. After the final in Charleston, the athlete said she gained confidence and an understanding that she is capable of playing at a very high level. “The more such results, the greater the awareness of the level at which I can play. Such results are like proof to myself that I can. And every player always needs them,” the Ukrainian explained.
The psychology of big wins and matches against “stars”
This year Starodubtseva has already had to play against players from the very top of the rankings — Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina. In her words, the experience of recent years has shown that every match needs to be approached the same way, regardless of the opponent. “I can't [treat it as a match against a star],” she emphasized, meaning that on the court there is simply a feeling of the match. At the same time, she admits that after a win over a player of Rybakina's level, thoughts like “can I do it again” appear in her head, and they are sometimes very hard to shake off — they bring on a different kind of anxiety.
The match against Sakharis and the saved match points
One of the most memorable matches of the US Open for Starodubtseva was her encounter with Maria Sakkari: the Ukrainian lost the first set 1-6 but fought back, and in the second set she had to save match points. “These are such delicate moments when you are half expecting to go shake hands, but at the same time you are trying not to just hand over the match. If you look at all the match points, they were long rallies, and Sakkari made mistakes at the end. I simply tried not to give her the match on my own error, because I felt she would not play aggressively in those moments,” the tennis player recalled.
The second meeting with Rybakina: what was missing
After the win over Sakkari, Elena Rybakina stood in Starodubtseva's path — and this was already their second meeting of the season following the Ukrainian's sensational win at Roland Garros. According to Starodubtseva, psychologically these were very different matches, and the second time she was even more nervous than the first. “But I saw once again that I can. I had big chances and a set point,” she added. The US Open match ended in a loss for Starodubtseva, 6-7, 3-6, with the first set being very close. When asked what was missing to create another sensation, the Ukrainian answered briefly: “Perhaps a little more belief in myself.”
The year's priority — psychological state
Comparing herself at the start of the season with now, Starodubtseva notes progress in all areas — in tennis, in physical preparation and in psychology, where experience helps her. “If there is a goal to become the best player, you need to pay attention to all areas. But if I have to say which area was the priority this year, it was my psychological state. Although I think I also grew in tennis terms,” she said. The Ukrainian names breaking into the top 30 of the world rankings as her main goal for the future.
The home you miss
Separately in the interview, Starodubtseva talked about her hometown, which she has not been able to visit since 2022, and about Ukraine, which she misses during her constant travels. She calls these topics an important part of her life off the court, emphasizing her connection to her homeland even in the middle of a dense competitive schedule.
Contradictory data
The provided materials contain a discrepancy in the figure for Starodubtseva's career-high ranking. The introductory text to the interview states that after Charleston she rose to the “highest in her career, 43rd position in the world rankings,” whereas in the journalist's quote in the conversation with the athlete the figure is “53rd place in the world rankings — the highest in her career so far.” Both versions agree that it is a personal record achieved after the final in Charleston, however the specific number (43rd or 53rd position) differs across the sources. Until it is clarified with official WTA data, both versions are presented as contradictory. At the same time, the fact of the career-high ranking and the WTA 500 final in Charleston, as well as the sensational win over Rybakina at Roland Garros, is confirmed by several independent sources.
