The second-ranked player globally, Elena Rybakina, was unexpectedly eliminated in the second round by Yuliia Starodubtseva, who holds the 55th position, marking the most significant upset witnessed at the French Open to date.
Even after securing the initial set, Rybakina appeared considerably below her usual sharp form, allowing Starodubtseva to orchestrate a remarkable turnaround, ultimately prevailing with scores of 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-4).
Rybakina, the current Australian Open titleholder recognized for her powerful serve and accurate shots, accumulated 71 unforced errors and managed to get only 53% of her first serves in play.
This marks the first occasion since 2020 that Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan, has not advanced beyond the second round at the prestigious Paris tournament, and it constitutes her quickest departure from a Grand Slam event since the Australian Open in 2024.
Consequently, Rybakina’s premature departure ensures that Aryna Sabalenka will retain her position as the world’s top-ranked player, irrespective of how she performs at Roland Garros.
The 26-year-old contender had to advance to the semi-finals to have any prospect of dethroning Sabalenka from her nearly two-year tenure at the pinnacle of the rankings.
“It’s simply unfortunate, as I believe my practice sessions leading up to the French Open were quite good,” Rybakina commented.
“Today’s showing was really poor, characterized by an excessive number of unforced errors.”
