Elena Rybakina Stunned in French Open Upset

Elena Rybakina, a Russian-born Kazakh tennis player, faced an unexpected defeat at the French Open. She lost to Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva in the second round, leaving the women's tournament without a strong contender. This marks Rybakina’s first or early exit despite her recent success.

Elena Rybakina, who had entered the French Open as a top contender, has been unexpectedly ousted from the tournament. The Russian-born Kazakh player lost to Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva in a thrilling second-round match, culminating in a 3-6 6-1 7-6(10-4) defeat.

Rybakina, who was seeded second following her Australian Open win earlier this year, had achieved a tour-leading 31st match win in the opening round. However, she faced difficulties on Court Suzanne Lenglen, ultimately losing after sending a forehand long during the deciding tiebreak.

Starodubtseva's victory marks her first win against a top-five player, propelling her to the third round, where she will face either American Hailey Baptiste or China's Wang Xiyu.