ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2026

Yuliia Starodubtseva

Press Conference

Y. STARODUBTSEVA/E. Rybakina

3-6, 6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You have just beaten Elena Rybakina for the biggest win of your career so far. In what moment did you realize you could win that match? Talk us through what went through your mind during that match tiebreak.

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: If you ask me what moment, that was probably before the match (smiling). I mean, I feel like if you are trying to beat one of the best, you have to think that you can beat the best. I was trying to go into this match with this mindset, you know, try not to give too much respect, even though she's a great player and someone you can look up to. She's obviously No. 2 in the world.

But I feel like, again, if you're trying to be one of those players, you need to start and believe you can beat them.

Tiebreaker, yeah, I felt good in tiebreak, pretty confident. I started well, continued well, and I feel like just nice and steady through tiebreak.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. It seems like you were having a lot of success with the high balls, especially, in this. Curious how much was that a strategy for you? She seemed uncomfortable with that. How much did the heat and high-bouncing conditions help that strategy?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Well, I guess Elena is not known for high balls. She likes good pace, you know, strong, mostly flat ball. Me, I feel like I can do both, but maybe in these conditions I prefer a bit more high, spinny balls, which I think suit me more in these conditions, as well. I think that obviously helped me and tried to just stick to it a bit more and, you know, keep it nice and high, as much as I can (smiling). I think it worked.

Q. You thought it was working?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Yes, yes.

Q. At one point deep in the third set, I think you were up 4-2 but she came back and broke you. It was 4-4. Was there ever a point in the match maybe around that time where you thought, oh, no, it's happening again?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: What do you mean, "again"?

Q. You came into the match, I believe it was 0-6 against top-10 players, so this was your biggest win. You had not beaten a top-10 player before. Curious, at that point, what was going through your head?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: I didn't know I had 0-6. I did not think about it, so that's good (smiling).

Yeah, it was good to get ahead pretty quick, because I broke her twice and it's hard to break her serve. It's very good.

I kind of, you know, expected a fight back anyways, and once it got to 3-All, I don't think I played much worse. I think she stepped up a bit. Maybe I helped her a bit, but I don't think much.

At 3-All, and I think she was 4-3 up? I feel like it was just more important to, like, bring yourself to think it's neutral. You start from the beginning, it doesn't matter what just happened. Just kind of, like, okay, 0-0, 0-1. Let's just start again. Let's not think about the past and move on.

Q. How much time did you spend at Old Dominion? What did you learn from there? What did you take from there? How much impact has it had on you during your career?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Thanks for this question. I spent actually there five years. I did my bachelor degree for four years, and then I took another year, because COVID happened, and the opportunity presented itself.

I was able to get, like, another year off for education, and I wasn't sure what I would do after COVID year, so I just took it. So I spent five years in total there.

I definitely got better as a tennis player in college, because prior to college, I didn't have many good results. I think my last year in college I got to play a lot of good players. I played No. 1 last year, and I have played Emma Navarro now, I played McCartney Kessler there, which is good-level people. I feel like my level increased over the last year just by playing against those players. So that really, I think, helped me.

Q. What did you study, and what is your degree in? What did you study for the fifth year, and how has that whole process helped you? What impact has that had?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: For the fifth year, I studied sports management, actually, my last year. I actually enjoyed it.

Q. And the bachelor's?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Bachelor's was international communications.

Q. You're communicating very well internationally right now. I was watching your run in Charleston. Wondering how much that felt like a turning point for you to think you can have the game to be at this level and getting these kinds of wins.

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: I mean, I can't deny it helped, like, it was a good push forward, seeing myself that I can beat, like, top players and compete against them.

So it definitely gave me some confidence to, you know, even in this match, it's like you just get, you know, reassurance that you can beat these players.

Q. You're part of a group of Ukrainian tennis players who are really excelling at the moment. I wonder how much inspiration do you draw from each other? Obviously Marta and Elina had great results coming into this as well.

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: I actually find it's so cool how Ukrainian girls, unfortunately not guys, I hope guys in the future, as well, but, I mean, girls are doing so well. I think it's really, really cool how it's like so many Ukrainians playing a final, winning a tournament. Like you see Ukrainian on WTA, Instagram every time. I find it really cool. It's inspiring.

Q. You had a different journey to this part of the sport than other top players. I'm just curious, during the tough times, could you have imagined you would find your way to beating Rybakina on such a big court too?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: What do you mean?

Q. You went to college and you were coaching at clubs and...

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Oh, no, I didn't think about it too much. I think, like, going into college, I was planning on playing professional tennis, but honestly, my motivation playing professional tennis, all of the years, kind of decreased, even though I tried to be my best version of myself on court in college.

But knowing how much financially it can take to start playing professionally, I wasn't sure if I could do it. I kind of put that thought away for a bit, but then just tried doing it after college and it went well. Now it's going well, as well.

Q. When that last point was done, what did it feel like? Was it a sense of relief? Was it excitement? All of the above? And also, as you look ahead, how would you prevent, maybe, some sort of potential letdown after such a big effort and have to reproduce this in the next round?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: Sorry, one second. I have to think about it (smiling).

I mean, it was mostly excitement, I would say. It wasn't, like, a relief. I was going into this match thinking about it as a good opportunity, you know. I thought I could do it, and I felt proud of myself for doing it, you know, because I feel like it's not easy to come into the match and believe in yourself that you can do it. Maybe I have struggled with it in the past, but this time I didn't struggle as much, I guess.

Yeah, I mean, honestly it takes a lot mentally, and I feel very tired right now, but I'm just going to, you know, take it easy tomorrow, today, and try to, you know, bring the same mentality in the next match. Obviously it's also new for me, so we'll see how I do.

Q. What does your current coaching setup and team setup look like? I know a few years ago it was kind of just you and your boyfriend doing the thing together. Is it the same? Is it still him? What's the situation?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: I'll tell you a funny thing, actually. My boyfriend is my coach, and he told me if I break through top 50, he'll propose. (Laughter.)

He's getting scared now. (Laughter.) I'm getting close. Yeah.

But besides my boyfriend being my coach, I also bring Pearse, is his name. I also bring sometimes to my team another coach, tennis coach, who maybe has more experience on tour. His name is Eric Hechtman. He has been with me for a few tournaments before. He's not always with me, but some tournaments he is. And now I added a physio to the team.

Q. With this new information, I think you might be able to get into the top 50 with one more win here. If so, would you like for him to propose on court?

YULIIA STARODUBTSEVA: No. Me, no. I don't pressure him at all. (Laughter.)

I let him think on his own, whatever he wants to do. Just not on court, please.