World No. 2 Elena Rybakina continued her impressive run at the US Open, advancing to the fourth round of the prestigious tournament. In the third-round match, the Kazakhstani player defeated Ukrainian Yulia Starodubtseva, ranked 58th in the world, 7:6 (8:6), 6:3, reports infohub.kz.
The match, which lasted 1 hour and 52 minutes, was not easy for Rybakina. In the opening set, the players were evenly matched, forcing a tie-break where luck favored the Kazakhstani — 8:6. In the second set, Elena managed to gain an advantage on return and confidently closed out the match 6:3.
Match statistics highlight Rybakina's powerful serve: she recorded 12 aces against just one double fault. The Kazakhstani won 28 of 34 points on her first serve, an 82 percent clip. Starodubtseva, meanwhile, managed only one ace and committed three double faults.
Rybakina's superiority was especially evident in winners — 33 against eight for her opponent. However, the Kazakhstani made 30 unforced errors, while the Ukrainian made 14. Elena converted four of 13 break points, while Starodubtseva converted two of three. In total points won, the world No. 2 also outplayed her opponent — 81:68.
This victory was revenge for Rybakina's loss at Roland Garros 2026, where Starodubtseva sensationally defeated the Kazakhstani in the second round 3:6, 6:1, 7:6 (7:4). Prior to that meeting in Paris, the Ukrainian had never beaten a top-10 opponent.
Reaching the fourth round allowed Rybakina to equal her best result at the US Open, which she first achieved last season.
In the fourth round, Elena will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka (13). The Japanese player defeated Elise Mertens (20) in the third round — 6:3, 3:6, 7:5. Earlier in August, at the Toronto tournament, Rybakina had already beaten Osaka in three sets.
The US Open is an annual hard-court Grand Slam tournament that concludes the major season. For the second consecutive year, the US Open, first held in August 1881, starts a week earlier due to the rescheduled mixed doubles event. The total prize money is a record $108 million for a major. Since 1978, matches have been played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
The defending men's champion is Spain's Carlos Alcaraz (3), who defeated Jannik Sinner in last year's final 6:2, 3:6, 6:1, 6:4. The Italian, the world No. 1, withdrew from the 2026 US Open due to a knee injury. In the women's draw, the 2025 champion is Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who beat American Amanda Anisimova in the final — 6:3, 7:6 (7:3).