Yulia Starodubtseva finally has her New York breakthrough.
Under the hard lights of the 2026 US Open, the Ukrainian brushed aside Germany’s Ella Seidel 6-2, 6-2, powering into the second round in Flushing Meadows for the first time in her career.
A barrier finally broken
Two previous main-draw appearances at this tournament had ended the same way for Starodubtseva: one match, one defeat, suitcase packed early. This time, the script changed.
Facing a familiar opponent in Seidel — whom she had already beaten in straight sets once before — the 28-year-old stepped onto court with intent and never really loosened her grip. Seidel, ranked 123rd in the world at the time of the match, arrived with tools to trouble her. Starodubtseva never allowed her to use them for long.
Control from the start
The tone was set early in the opening set. At 2–1, Starodubtseva pounced, breaking serve and seizing control of the baseline exchanges. Seidel hit back immediately, narrowing the score to 2–3, hinting at a contest.
That was as close as she got.
Starodubtseva tightened her patterns, found her range on return, and ripped through three straight games. The German was pushed back, stripped of time and rhythm, and the set was gone in 35 minutes, 6–2 to the Ukrainian.
The second set was even more one-sided. Starodubtseva stormed to a 4–0 lead, converting two break points and dictating almost every rally. Seidel tried to drag herself into longer exchanges, tried to make the Ukrainian hit one more ball, but the gap on the scoreboard never shrank to anything threatening.
There was no wobble at the finish. Starodubtseva served out the match with the same calm that had defined her afternoon, closing another 6–2 set to wrap up a 1 hour 18 minute victory that felt as routine as the numbers suggest, but meant far more.
A new chapter in New York
For the first time, Starodubtseva’s US Open campaign will stretch into a second round. She reached the main draw previously in 2024 and 2025 — once via qualifying — but both runs ended at the first hurdle. This year’s edition is already her best showing in New York.
Now comes a step up in profile. Her next opponent will be the winner of the clash between American Robin Montgomery and Greek star Maria Sakkari. That matchup will decide whether Starodubtseva faces a home favourite or a seasoned top-tier competitor, but either way, she has already guaranteed herself at least one more night under the New York lights and a shot at an even bigger milestone: a first-ever place in the third round of a US Open.
Ukrainian surge at Flushing Meadows
Starodubtseva’s win is part of a broader Ukrainian presence at this year’s tournament. Seven Ukrainian women made the main draw, underlining the country’s growing depth on the WTA Tour.
Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina have already joined her in the second round, each winning their opening matches. Svitolina, Ukraine’s top-ranked player, set the tone on August 31 with a confident first-round victory over Argentina’s Solana Sierra, the world No. 91.
Not every story carried on. Dayana Yastremska and Daria Snigur both exited in the first round, their campaigns cut short before they could gather momentum. One more Ukrainian debut in this year’s main draw is still to come, with Oleksandra Oliynikova set to face American Reese Brantmeier in her opener.
For Starodubtseva, though, the US Open has already delivered something new: a foothold in the second week’s conversation, a sense that she belongs deeper into the draw. The next match will tell whether this is just a long-awaited breakthrough or the start of something bigger in New York.
