Starodubtseva advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open for the first time
Ukrainian tennis player Yulia Starodubtseva got off to a strong start at the 2026 U.S. Open. In the first round, she defeated Germany’s Ella Seidel in two sets—6-2, 6-2—and advanced past the opening round of the US Open for the first time in her career.
Yulia Starodubtseva successfully began her run in the main draw of the 2026 US Open. The Ukrainian defeated Germany’s Ella Seidel in two sets and advanced to the second round of the tournament. This is a special achievement for Starodubtseva. This is her third appearance in the main draw of the U.S. Grand Slam, but on her previous two occasions, she was eliminated after her first match.
Before her match against Seidel, Starodubtseva already had experience facing this opponent. The two players had met once before, and on that occasion, Starodubtseva also won in two sets. At the time of the match, Ella Seidel was ranked 123rd in the world.
How the Match Unfolded
Starodubtseva started the first set aggressively and broke serve when the score was 2–1. The German immediately tried to get back into the match and cut the deficit to 2–3. However, the Ukrainian then completely seized the initiative. Starodubtseva won three games in a row, leaving her opponent no chance for a comeback. As a result, the first set ended 6–2 in favor of the Ukrainian.
In the second set, Starodubtseva quickly took the lead again. She went up 4–0, converting two break points. Seidel tried to turn the match around, but the Ukrainian wouldn’t let her close the gap to a dangerous level. Starodubtseva calmly closed out the set for the win—again 6–2. The match lasted 1 hour and 18 minutes.
Match Result
2026 US Open. First Round
Yulia Starodubtseva (Ukraine) — Ella Seidel (Germany) — 2:0 (6:2, 6:2)
The Ukrainian confidently defeated her opponent and advanced to the second round of the US Open for the first time in her career. Starodubtseva previously competed in the US Open main draw in 2024 and 2025. In both instances, her run ended in the first round. She also once advanced to the main draw through qualifying.
Now she will play in the second round of the main draw of the American Grand Slam for the first time.
Who will be her next opponent?
In the second round, Starodubtseva will face the winner of the match between American Robin Montgomery and Greek Maria Sakkari. Thus, the Ukrainian has already guaranteed herself at least one more match in the tournament and will have a chance to continue her successful run in New York.
How the Ukrainian Women Are Performing
Starodubtseva is one of seven Ukrainian women who made it into the main draw of the US Open this year. Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina have already advanced to the second round. Both Ukrainian players also won their opening matches.
Meanwhile, for Dayana Yastremska and Daria Snigur, the tournament ended after their first match. Oleksandra Oliynikova will be the last of the Ukrainian players to play her first-round match. Her opponent will be American Reese Brantmeier. For Starodubtseva, this US Open has already become the most successful of her career. Now the Ukrainian will try to advance even further and reach the third round of the tournament for the first time. This was reported by Suspilne Sport.
As a reminder, the US Open kicked off in New York with a record-breaking prize pool.
On August 31, Ukraine’s top-ranked player, Elina Svitolina, confidently defeated Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the first round of the US Open. The Ukrainian advanced to the second round of the tournament after defeating the world’s 91st-ranked player.
