“My Boyfriend Is Scared Now”: Rybakina-Beater Yuliia Starodubtseva Reveals Secret Marriage Pact At French Open

26-year-old Ukrainian rising star Yuliia Starodubtseva caused a major upset at the French Open by defeating World No. 2 Elena Rybakina in a three-set battle on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Wednesday.

After losing 6-3 in the first set, Starodubtseva regrouped and made a strong comeback in the second, winning 6-1 and forcing a deciding set. In the final set, both players held serve until the end, but the Ukrainian player dug deep and took control, ultimately winning a tense tiebreaker and sealing the victory.

Following her exciting victory, Starodubtseva spoke at a post-game media conference. The excited Ukrainian player discussed many aspects of the game and also shared a playful secret with her boyfriend and coach, Pearse Dolan.

“I’ll tell you a funny thing, actually. My boyfriend is my coach, and he told me that if I break through the top 50, he’ll propose. He’s getting scared now. I’m getting close,” said Starodubtseva with a huge smile on her face.

The Ukrainian is currently ranked 55th in the live WTA rankings, and a win or two more in the French capital will definitely help her break into the top 50 in women’s singles this season.

Yuliia Starodubtseva Was Elated After Securing a Thrilling Win Over Rybakina

After her victory, Starodubtseva went to the net for the traditional post-match interview. While reflecting on the game, the Ukrainian praised her Kazakh opponent and expressed how thrilled she was to achieve the biggest win of her career so far.

“Honestly hard to describe. I’m super happy. Elena is one of the top players. She’s had an incredible year. I’m super proud of myself that I was able to do this today. It was a hard third set, but I got it done, you know?” the Ukrainian said.

“I feel like someone like Lena; I expect it from her. She’s one of the top players. You can’t be thinking it’s gonna be easy today. Even at 3-0, I had a feeling it might not be that easy. Tough match, but happy to be the winner today,” she added.

Starodubtseva will face unseeded 25-year-old Chinese player Wang Xiyu in the third round of the French Open on Friday.

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