Yuliia Starodubtseva was a surprising quarterfinalist last fall at the China Open. After navigating the qualifiers, she secured four consecutive victories, all in straight sets, including a win over the 14th-ranked player. This marked her best professional result to date, propelling her into the Top 100, before her run ended against Coco Gauff.
This success was followed by a challenging seven-month period, spanning 203 days, without a main-draw win on the Hologic WTA Tour. The 25-year-old Ukrainian competed in 15 events across four continents, failing to qualify eight times and losing in the first round seven times when she did make it into the main draw.
However, her fortunes changed dramatically at the Mutua Madrid Open. She successfully won two qualifying matches and then achieved a decisive 6-2, 6-2 first-round victory over wild card Linda Fruhvirtova. She followed this with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, advancing her to the third round.
Starodubtseva continued her impressive run by overcoming the 18th seed, Liudmila Samsonova, in a tough three-set match, rallying from a set and a break down to win 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-0. Her upcoming opponent in the Round of 16 is the formidable 7th seed Mirra Andreeva, who has already claimed two WTA 1000 titles this year.
For several years, Starodubtseva has hovered around the Top 100, a ranking that typically guarantees direct entry into Grand Slam main draws. She arrived in Madrid ranked No. 99 and is now guaranteed to reach at least No. 80, just one spot shy of her career-high ranking.
Above all, Starodubtseva embodies resilience. Last year, she became the only player in the Open era to qualify for all four Grand Slams in a single calendar year, achieving her first major win at Wimbledon.
While Starodubtseva is arguably the most unexpected player among those reaching the Round of 16 on Monday and Tuesday, she is joined by four of the top five seeds: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 4 Coco Gauff, and No. 5 Madison Keys.
This mid-tournament update, “Courtside Changeover,” serves as a moment to pause and appreciate the surprises of the past week at the Mutua Madrid Open, while also looking ahead to what the remainder of the tournament might bring.
Swiatek-Eala II doesn’t disappoint
Following their surprising quarterfinal match at the Miami Open, where Alexandra Eala upset the second-ranked Iga Swiatek in straight sets, the two met again a month later in Madrid. This time, the encounter was on red clay, widely considered Swiatek`s favorite surface.
The 19-year-old Filipina once again took an early lead, going up a set and a break, but ultimately lost ten of the final thirteen games as Swiatek found her form.
Eala reflected on the match afterward, stating, “Things to take back and to learn.”
Match of the tournament (so far)
Saturday`s third-round match between Belinda Bencic and 16th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia proved to be a thrilling contest. Despite trailing 4-1 in the deciding set and taking a nasty fall, Bencic fought back to win 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in a battle lasting over three hours.
Unseeded and continuing her comeback from maternity leave, Bencic showcased incredible determination in this epic encounter.
Comeback V.2
This is why we love tennis:
Anastasija Sevastova, who entered the tournament unranked, defied her previous 0-8 record against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to defeat her in straight sets in the first round. Sevastova had given birth to her daughter in December 2022 and initially returned to the tour after 22 months away, only to tear her ACL in just her fourth event back in Austin last year.
After extensive rehabilitation and another 13-month break, the 35-year-old from Latvia played two matches at a W75 event in Slovenia before arriving in Madrid. Her win over Pavlyuchenkova was remarkable, but an even bigger surprise was to follow…
… Peak Penko
Jelena Ostapenko is renowned for being one of the most unpredictable and entertaining players on tour. The week prior to Madrid, she had reached the pinnacle of her form, winning the title in Stuttgart by defeating the top two players in the world. However, as is often the case with Ostapenko, this high was followed by an unexpected low.
The 23rd seed stumbled in her opening match in Madrid, losing to the unranked Sevastova 7-6 (2), 6-2, which led to…
… Order restored
The inspiring comeback story of Anastasija Sevastova understandably reached its limit in the third round. Facing 13th seed Diana Shnaider, Sevastova suffered a dominant 6-0, 6-0 defeat in just 44 minutes.
Upset(s) Special
The tournament featured several notable upsets. Peyton Stearns’ three-set victory over 15th seed Amanda Anisimova was impressive, but Anastasia Potapova delivered arguably the most significant upset by defeating 8th seed Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-4 in their second-round match.
Zheng, who had received her Olympic singles gold medal after her last red-clay match at Roland Garros, was a strong contender, making Potapova`s win particularly noteworthy.
Heading into the second week, the top seven seeds remained largely intact. However, this quickly changed as 3rd seed Jessica Pegula and 6th seed Jasmine Paolini were eliminated by Moyuka Uchijima and Maria Sakkari, respectively. For Uchijima, this marked her first career win against a Top 25 player, while Sakkari ended a tough 0-8 losing streak against Top 10 opponents.
