Yulia Starodubtseva Achieves US Open Breakthrough
Yulia Starodubtseva finally has her New York breakthrough.
On her third appearance in the US Open main draw, the Ukrainian swept past Germany’s Ella Seidel 6-2, 6-2, reaching the second round of the American Grand Slam for the first time in her career and shaking off the weight of two previous first-round exits.
A Different Story This Time
Starodubtseva walked onto court with history against her but the matchup in her favor. She had already beaten Seidel once, also in straight sets, and she leaned on that memory from the opening ball.
From 2–1 in the first set, she tore into Seidel’s serve, breaking to seize control. The German briefly answered, pulling back to 2–3, but that was as close as she got. The Ukrainian tightened her grip on the baseline, dictated rallies, and rattled through three straight games. Another firm hold, another flurry of clean points, and the set was gone in 6–2, with Starodubtseva looking anything but a player haunted by past early exits.
The pattern hardened in the second set. Starodubtseva jumped to 4–0, twice breaking Seidel’s serve and repeatedly pinning the world No. 123 behind the baseline. Seidel tried to disrupt the rhythm, tried to stretch rallies and change pace, but every small opening closed just as quickly. The gap never narrowed to anything truly dangerous.
Starodubtseva stayed composed, served out the match without drama, and sealed another 6–2 set. The whole job took just 1 hour 18 minutes.
Breaking the Barrier
The numbers told the story on the scoreboard:
2026 US Open – First Round
Yulia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) def. Ella Seidel (Germany) 2:0 (6:2, 6:2)
For Starodubtseva, those figures carry extra weight. She had fallen at the first hurdle in both her previous US Open main-draw appearances in 2024 and 2025, one of them after fighting through qualifying just to get into the tournament. This time, she walks away from round one not with frustration, but with momentum.
Now, for the first time, she has a second-round date at Flushing Meadows.
What Comes Next
Her next opponent will be the winner of Robin Montgomery vs Maria Sakkari. Two very different paths lie there: a home hope eager to make a statement in front of an American crowd, or an established Greek star used to the spotlight on the biggest courts.
Either way, Starodubtseva has guaranteed herself at least one more night under the New York lights and a genuine shot at the first third-round appearance of her Grand Slam career.
A Wider Ukrainian Surge
Her win also feeds into a broader storyline at this year’s US Open: the strong presence of Ukrainian women in the main draw. Seven started the tournament.
Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina have already joined Starodubtseva in the second round, each winning their opening matches. Svitolina, Ukraine’s top-ranked player, set the tone on August 31 with a confident victory over Argentina’s Solana Sierra, the world No. 91.
Not every campaign has lasted. For Dayana Yastremska and Daria Snigur, the tournament ended on day one. Oleksandra Oliynikova is still to step on court for her first-round clash against American Reese Brantmeier.
Within that mixed picture, Starodubtseva’s run stands out. This is already her best US Open, her most productive trip to New York. The question now is simple and sharp:
Can she turn a long-awaited breakthrough into a deep run?
