By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, Could 27, 2026
Photograph credit score: Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty
Yulia Starodubtseva hit an expert peak right now and is aiming for romantic union this week.
Starodubtseva shocked world No. 2 Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(10-4) within the second spherical scoring her first profession High 10 win and ending the Australian Open champion’s shot for a calendar Grand Slam.
Winless in six prior conferences vs. High 10 opponents, a peaceful Starodubtseva outplayed a twitchy Rybakina within the tiebreaker.
Afterward, Starodubtseva shared she had added motivation for this main upset.
Previous to the event, the Fifty fifth-ranked Ukrainian made a wager together with her boyfriend and coach: If she cracks the High 50, he proposes marriage.
“My boyfriend is my coach, and he instructed me if I break via high 50, he’ll suggest,” Starodubtseva stated. “He’s getting scared now. (Laughter.) I’m getting shut. Yeah.”
In actual fact, this win propels the 26-year-old Ukrainian to No. 54 in the WTA Live Rankings.
“However apart from my boyfriend being my coach, I additionally convey Pearse, is his title,” Starodubtseva stated. “I additionally convey generally to my group one other coach, tennis coach, who possibly has extra expertise on tour.
“His title is Eric Hechtman. He has been with me for a couple of tournaments earlier than. He’s not at all times with me, however some tournaments he’s. And now I added a physio to the group.”
After ending Australian Open champion Rybakina’s shot of the calendar Grand Slam, Starodubtseva, a Sports activities Administration main at Outdated Dominion, credited her collegiate expertise with serving to develop her sport.
“I positively bought higher as a tennis participant in school, as a result of prior to varsity, I didn’t have many good outcomes,” Starodubtseva stated. “I feel my final 12 months in school I bought to play quite a lot of good gamers. I performed No. 1 final 12 months, and I’ve performed Emma Navarro now, I performed McCartney Kessler there, which is good-level folks.
“I really feel like my degree elevated over the past 12 months simply by taking part in in opposition to these gamers. So that basically, I feel, helped me.”
