Only woman in the Open Era to qualify for all four majors in one season

Yuliia Starodubtseva

Right-handed, two-handed backhand, out of Old Dominion University — the Ukrainian who taught club clinics after college and, at 26, played her first WTA final in Charleston.

Career-High Rank

No. 42

21 SEP 2026

Current Rank

No. 45

28 SEP 2026

Age

B. 17 FEB 2000

ITF Titles

KAKHOVKA, UKR

Career Trajectory

2022 Closed her Old Dominion college career with a 22-1 singles record in her final spring season.
2023 Won her first ITF title in Sumter, South Carolina, after a year spent teaching clinics at Westchester Country Club.
2024 Qualified for the main draw of all four Grand Slams — the only woman in the Open Era to do it in a single season — and broke into the top 100 on 7 October.
2026 Reached her first WTA final at the Charleston Open in April, beating fifth seed Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals, and rose to a career-high No. 53.
2026 Upset world No. 2 Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in the second round of Roland Garros — the biggest win of her career.

Surface Split

GRASS

HARD

CLAY

First tour-level match win: Wimbledon 2024 Top-100 debut sealed on the 2024 hard-court swing First WTA final + best Slam runs on clay

Quick Facts

Birthplace

Kakhovka, Ukraine

College

Old Dominion University

Height

172 cm (5'8")

Plays

Right-handed

Backhand

Two-handed

Best Slam

French Open 3R (2025, 2026)

Instagram

@yuliiastar17

The Breakthrough

Starodubtseva's route to the top 100 ran through none of the usual academies. Not financially ready to turn pro at 17, she took a full scholarship to Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia, finished her final college season 22-1, then spent a year teaching clinics — sometimes ten hours a day — at Westchester Country Club while she saved for the tour. From there the climb was steep and steady: a first ITF title in 2023, an Open Era first in 2024 when she qualified for all four Grand Slam main draws in a single season, and a top-100 debut that October.

"Just a solid eastern European mentality." — On her father texting "Can you practice now?" after her Charleston semifinal win, WTA Tour, April 2026

Charleston in April 2026 turned the late bloomer into a headline. Slated for qualifying, she was moved into the main draw by a late withdrawal, then beat Zhang Shuai, Ekaterine Gorgodze, Renata Zarazua and McCartney Kessler before dismantling fifth seed Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals. Jessica Pegula stopped her in the final, but the run carried her up 36 places to No. 53 — and weeks later she proved it was no fluke, beating world No. 2 Elena Rybakina at Roland Garros.

In Her Own Words

"Qualifying at all four definitely helps you think you can do it again."

ON HER 2024 GRAND SLAM QUALIFYING SWEEP · ROLANDGARROS.COM

"I'm super proud of myself that I was able to do this today."

ON BEATING ELENA RYBAKINA, ROLAND GARROS 2026 · AP / CBS SPORTS

"Ukrainians come and they support us, which means a lot."

ON UKRAINIAN FANS AT ROLAND GARROS · ROLANDGARROS.COM

Playing Style

Powerful baseline rallies Strong two-handed backhand Mental toughness in long matches Battle-tested qualifier College-honed tennis IQ

Sources: Instagram · Wikipedia (Yuliia Starodubtseva) · WTA Tour player profile · WTATennis.com, "Who is Yuliia Starodubtseva? Q&A with Charleston's star and first-time WTA finalist" · RolandGarros.com, "Starodubtseva: I want to be more consistent like Svitolina" · CBS Sports / AP, "No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina bounced in second round by Yuliia Starodubtseva," May 2026 · Tennis365, "WTA Rankings: Yuliia Starodubtseva +36 after run to Charleston final" · Puntodebreak.com, Charleston final feature, April 2026 · Tennis Grandstand, "What To Know About Yulia Starodubtseva," April 2026 · Old Dominion Athletics roster page.
Compiled from public match reporting and official tour data — no private or unpublished sources used.