Paris, France – Web Desk: World number two Elena Rybakina suffered a major upset at the French Open after being knocked out in the second round by Ukraine’s Yulia Starodubtseva, ranked 55th in the world.
Rybakina started strongly, winning the opening set 6-3, but failed to maintain her form as the match progressed.
Starodubtseva staged a remarkable comeback, taking the next two sets 6-1 and 7-6 (10-4) to secure one of the biggest wins of her career.
This marks the first time since 2020 that the Kazakh star has failed to reach the third round of the French Open.
The early exit ensures that Aryna Sabalenka will retain her world number one ranking.
After the match, Rybakina described her performance as disappointing, citing a high number of unforced errors. Starodubtseva, meanwhile, called the victory the biggest achievement of her professional career.
