Yulia Starodubtseva Advances to US Open Second Round
Yulia Starodubtseva has been to New York before. She has walked through the players’ tunnel, taken in the noise of the US Open, and left after one match. Twice.
This time, she stayed.
The Ukrainian produced a composed, almost ruthless performance to dismiss Germany’s Ella Seidel 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour 18 minutes, breaking her first‑round barrier at Flushing Meadows and booking a place in the second round of a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in her career.
Breaking the New York curse
This is Starodubtseva’s third appearance in the US Open main draw after 2024 and 2025 ended in immediate exits. The pattern was starting to feel like a ceiling. On Monday, she smashed through it.
She knew the matchup. Starodubtseva and Seidel had met once before, and the Ukrainian had also won that encounter in straight sets. Seidel came into this contest ranked 123rd in the world, dangerous enough to punish any nerves, but she never got the foothold she needed.
Starodubtseva came out swinging.
She attacked the first set with intent, stepping inside the baseline and going after Seidel’s serve. At 2–1, the pressure told: Starodubtseva earned the first break and looked immediately in control.
Seidel answered with a brief surge, pulling back to 2–3 and hinting at a contest. That was as close as she got.
From there, the Ukrainian clamped down on the match. She reeled off three straight games, denying Seidel any rhythm and closing the opening set 6–2 with an air of authority that has not always accompanied her Grand Slam outings.
No way back for Seidel
The second set felt less like a battle and more like a statement.
Starodubtseva raced out to a 4–0 lead, breaking twice and dictating almost every rally. Her serve held up, her groundstrokes stayed heavy and deep, and Seidel was left chasing shadows on a court that suddenly looked very big.
The German tried to respond, to drag the scoreline into something more dangerous, but each time she threatened, Starodubtseva shut the door. No wobble, no late drama. Just solid, measured tennis.
Another 6–2 set, another straight-sets win over Seidel, and a long-awaited step forward at a major.
Final score:
2026 US Open, First Round
Yulia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) def. Ella Seidel (Germany) 2:0 (6:2, 6:2)
A new horizon in New York
For Starodubtseva, this US Open is already the most successful of her career. She had previously reached the main draw once through qualifying, but never survived the opening hurdle. Now she has guaranteed herself at least one more match on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Her next opponent will come from the clash between American Robin Montgomery and Greek star Maria Sakkari. Two very different prospects: a home player feeding off the crowd or an established top‑level competitor with deep‑run experience. Either way, the challenge will be steep.
But this time, Starodubtseva arrives in the second round with momentum, not just hope.
Ukrainian surge at Flushing Meadows
Her win is part of a broader Ukrainian presence in New York this year. Seven Ukrainian women reached the main draw, a striking number in itself.
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 all stories have been as positive. Dayana Yastremska and Daria Snigur exited in the first round, their tournaments over almost as soon as they began. Oleksandra Oliynikova is still to open her campaign, set to face American Reese Brantmeier in her first match.
For Starodubtseva, though, the narrative has finally shifted. No longer the player who comes to the US Open and leaves after one match, she walks back into the locker room as a second‑round contender, with a chance to chase something she has never experienced before — a place in the third round of a Grand Slam.
Now the question is simple: how far can this new version of Yulia Starodubtseva go in New York?
