World number two Elena Rybakina suffered a surprise second-round defeat by 55th-ranked Yuliia Starodubtseva in the biggest French Open upset so far.
Despite winning the opening set, Rybakina looked far from her clinical best as Starodubtseva mounted an impressive comeback to win 3-6 6-1 7-6 (10-4).
Known for her big serve and precise hitting, reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina committed 71 unforced errors and landed just 53% of her first serves.
It is the first time Kazakhstan’s Rybakina has failed to reach the third round at the Paris major since 2020, while it is her earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2024 Australian Open.
Rybakina’s early exit also means Aryna Sabalenka will keep her world number one ranking regardless of her result at Roland Garros.
The 26-year-old needed to reach the semi-finals to be in with a chance of ending Sabalenka’s near two-year reign at the top of the rankings.
“It’s just a pity, because I think I was practicing well before the French Open,” said Rybakina.
“Today it was a very bad performance with too many unforced errors.”
Two-time major champion Rybakina made a bright start on Court Suzanne Lenglen, racing into a 5-1 lead before her game started to unravel.
Rybakina was able to see out the opener, but Starodubtseva won nine of the next 10 games to level the match and go 3-0 up in the decider.
Rybakina never looked convincing despite clawing her way back from a double break down to force a tie-break, and a double fault on the opening point was a sign of things to come.
Starodubtseva continued to play aggressively to storm ahead and wrap up the biggest victory of her career.
With temperatures reaching the mid-30s in Celsius on Wednesday, Rybakina was asked afterward if the heat played any part in her below-par performance.
“I won’t say that physically I felt really bad,” she replied. “There were matches when I felt worse, but definitely, the energy was not there.
“Definitely, when it’s so hot, the ball is flying. It’s very difficult to control. Especially me being always aggressive, trying to play fast and step in, if you don’t give enough spin or if your hands are not as fast, the ball is flying everywhere.”
It is a second French Open upset in as many years for Ukraine’s Starodubtseva, having beaten 2024 runner-up and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini in the second-round last year.
“I’m super happy,” she said. “Elena is one of the top players; she’s had an incredible year, and I’m super proud of myself that I was able to do this.”
She will face China’s Wang Xiyu in round three.
