Upset Alert in 2026: Old Dominion Alum Tests the Defending Champion in Charleston
The Ukrainian, currently ranked 89th globally, Yulia Starodubtseva, has achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching the final of the WTA 500 Charleston Open. She has only dropped one set throughout the tournament. Starodubtseva resoundingly defeated fifth seed and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. This victory denied the home crowd an All-American final against defending champion Jessica Pegula.
Starodubtseva’s Journey
Playing tennis since the age of five, the 26-year-old Ukrainian has been as high as 63rd-ranked on the WTA. Before embarking on the pro tour, she played tennis for five years at Old Dominion University, arriving at 17, and is currently regarded as the most decorated and successful alum to date. Attaining a first-ranked doubles national ranking in the ITA in 2022 as captain, she led her team to two Conference USA Final Championships for the first time in 2021 and again in 2022. Ending her collegiate career with several awards and as the 18th-ranked singles player that same year, she broke out in 2023 as she turned pro. Winning four hard-court ITF Tour titles all in the year in the U.S., helping her break into the Top 200.
Rise on Tour
The Ukrainian fought through qualifying rounds and even became a lucky loser, making main-draw appearances at all four Grand Slams. Often falling in the first round, her best Major appearance came at the 2025 Roland Garros, where she lost in the third round to the current eighth-ranked Italian, Jasmine Paolini. The performance helped her break into the top 100 and attain her highest ranking to date. Over the past two years, Starodubtseva has done well in the Asian Swing, understandably so, as hard court is her favorite surface. In the China Open and Ningbo Open, she’s found some of her highest-ranked wins, defeating Katerina Siniakova, Yulia Putintseva, Laura Siegnumd and even pushed Swiss star Belinda Bencic to three sets.
2026 and Beyond
As it stands, Starodubtseva currently has a win-loss record of 12-9 as she heads into the Charleston Open Final, doing remarkably well on the Har-Tru green clay despite her personal preference. In the 2026 Miami Open, she fought through the qualifying round again and made it as far as the Round of 32, where she fell to the 2025 China Open champ and U.S. Finalist, American Amanda Anisimova. Here in Charleston, it is now left to be seen if she’ll end her dream run of the tournament with a massive upset against defending champ Pegula. The showdown and their first-ever meeting will take place at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Time.
