Finally made it past the first round?

Yuliia Starodubtseva can do it...

Well… I have to admit, this is where I almost get emotional. She’s in my top 3 of young prospects I’m hyper-focused on. But let’s still stick to the most rational objectivity.

Yuliia (yes, two “i”s ^^) came to the pro circuit relatively late because of her university program, where she excelled. Five long years in the NCAA, in Virginia, where she arrived from Ukraine without really speaking English. She finished Player of the Year twice in her conference and quickly became a reference point on the college circuit.

Her pro debut at 23, on the WTA tour in 2024, quickly stood out with a first quarterfinal in Beijing after coming through qualifying. An American swing then shot her rapidly into the top 100. The 2025 season was more complicated. The Ukrainian seemed to suffer from the after-effects of her meteoric rise, resting a bit on her laurels and maybe focusing too much on the off-court side of things.

2026, on the other hand, is off to a very strong start. You can feel a committed Yuliia, with a big technical arsenal that’s still underused, capable of compensating for a serve that’s not the most impressive. She still needs to confirm one key point: backing up great performances in qualifying. Too often, the momentum dies out as soon as the first round.

The draw is tough here, against an experienced Australian who defends her court very well and has a solid return. We’re likely headed for a baseline battle, with long rallies. The Australian also has an impressive win rate in tie-breaks, often very clutch in key moments. There was a TB in their last match, which made perfect sense.

Finally, Ajla retired with shoulder discomfort against Maya Joint in Adelaide and seems to be dealing with an issue in the rotator cuff, which could hurt her serve. We saw her wince in pain before her MTO. At this stage, we don’t know much more.

Yuliia, in any case, has the full toolkit and the power needed to handle this matchup.