Yuliia Starodubtseva — From college to tennis pro
Yuliia Starodubtseva is a talented tennis player from Ukraine who has managed to live her dream — as a university student to a professional tennis player. It is a story of determination and tireless commitment.
A remarkable success story — video feature
Published on February 1, 2024 · Last updated June 15, 2024
Kakhovka, Ukraine
Childhood and early enthusiasm
Yuliia grew up in Kakhovka, a small town in the southern Ukraine. Already at a young age she found her passion for tennis. Although she achieved some success as a junior, the results were not quite enough to make a breakthrough at the international level.
2017
The opportunity in America
Nevertheless, Yuliia's talent was promising enough to receive a scholarship as a tennis player at an American university. At the age of 17, she was recruited by the OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY in Norfolk / Virginia and played on the college team for the „Monarchs“ from fall 2017.
2017 – 2022
College achievements
Already in her first year, Yuliia earned the spot on the „All-Freshman Team“ and immediately distinguished herself as a key player. Her coaching team with Dominic Manilla and Yana Sokolenko recognized her enormous performance potential right from the start. Under their guidance, Yuliia developed as the number 1 player of the team over the next few years. In her senior year 2022, she largely dominated the competition with a final record of 21-2. Yuliia and her team won the „Conference USA“ and she herself was named „NCAA-ALL STAR“ as well as „Senior Athlete“ of the Year at OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY.
Mai 2022
The challenges after college
The time after leaving college in May 2022 was marked by many uncertainties. In view of the terrible war situation in her native Ukraine, Yuliia was facing an uncertain future. She used the so-called „legal year“ directly after graduation to work in the USA, taking a coaching position in a country club near New York for the summer. Her accommodation at first was just a back room at the tennis facility. While she was on court 7 to 10 hours a day as a coach, she also completed her college degree and constantly helped her family and her younger sister to find a tennis scholarship in the USA. Some people said that „at the age of 23, she was already too old to start as a tennis professional and be really successful“. Nevertheless, Yuliia did not want to give up her dream.
September 2022
The path to professional tennis
In September 2022, Yuliia happened to meet coach Carl Thorsen, head of the „TKO“ Academy in Rye, just outside of New York. Enthusiastic about Yuliia’s talent and her ambitions, the coach was ready to train her from now on. Since Yuliia could not raise the financial means to pay for the coaching, both agreed on a success-oriented arrangement. What followed were several months of intensive practice.
Januar 2023
The hurdles
At the beginning of January 2023, Yuliia had planned to play lower world-ranking tournaments in the USA — the so-called „ITF Challengers“. This proved extremely difficult because Yuliia did not yet have a world ranking. As an alternative, she registered for „UTR events“ and some „Wild-Card tournaments“ to qualify into ITF tournaments without holding the otherwise required ranking.
Februar 2023
First tournament participations — quick successes
In her first „WC tournament“ at the end of January 2023, Yuliia immediately won 6 matches in a row, earning a more valuable wild card to qualify for an „ITF-60k“ in Rome, Georgia. There she also won twice and reached the main draw of the $60,000 event, where she lost in the first round but already collected her first ranking points. About a month later, at the end of February 2023, she signed up for another „WC tournament“ and earned the wild card straight into the main draw of an ITF 25k in Spring, Texas. Sensationally, Yuliia won the entire tournament — her first title on the ITF Challenger Tour — and her ranking immediately jumped to #612. Despite modest prize money, the overall development was satisfactory and friends supported her with several thousand dollars in fundraising.
Juni 2023
Rapid further development — preliminary highlight
In mid-June 2023, Yuliia won her first ITF-60K in Sumter, South Carolina, with a winner’s prize money of about $6,000. This success was a milestone in her young career and clear proof of her progress. The quality of her victories also rose enormously, especially against opponents ranked between 100 and 200, while she became increasingly successful in doubles. With her now significantly improved ranking, the schedule for the rest of the year shifted: Yuliia even flirted with a brand-new goal — qualifying for the US Open in August. To make it, she would need to score nearly the maximum points at the two remaining ITF-60K events counting toward the US Open entry list.
Juli 2023
The breakthrough — into the world top 200
When the tournament in Evansville, Indiana started in mid-July, Yuliia put a lot of pressure on herself. She reached the final and only narrowly lost in three sets — still an important step. To actually secure US Open qualifying, Yuliia immediately had to win the next ITF-60K in Dallas, Texas. And she did exactly that. On the way to the title, Yuliia beat top-100 player and top seed Madison Brengle for the second time within a single week. In the final, she defeated #2 seed Yafan Wang from China, also a top-100 player. Yuliia had qualified for the US Open and her world ranking sensationally broke the 200 mark — all while continuing to help her family and friends to escape the war in her homeland.
August 2023
Looking forward to the first Grand Slam — Landisville
As her last preparation before the US Open, Yuliia played the $100,000 ITF Challenger in Landisville, Pennsylvania. In the very first round, she faced top seed and world #74 Xin Wang from China. With a 3-0 lead in the third set, victory was already in sight, but she lost 4-6 in the end — still a remarkable performance, especially since her opponent went on to win the tournament. In the doubles competition Yuliia even won, lifting her doubles ranking close to the top 200 thanks to her college experience. From Landisville, the journey continued straight to New York. The fact that her next event would actually be a Grand Slam tournament — in the city where she had found a new home — felt surreal, and the anticipation around her was huge.
August 2023
Showdown — playing the US Open in New York
The first practice days at the huge „Billie Jean King Tennis Center“ in Flushing Meadows were of course very special. Receiving her own player accreditation, using the shuttle service, being in the players area with all the top stars — it was all fantastic. The growing daily atmosphere around the largest tennis stadium in the world, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, and a practice session at the legendary „Louis Armstrong Stadium“ — all feelings of pure happiness.
22. August 2023
The first Grand Slam match — unfortunate defeat
On Tuesday, 22 August 2023, Yuliia played her first Grand Slam match on Court No. 7. Her opponent was the Swiss player Celine Naef, ranked roughly 50 spots higher. Yuliia won the first set 7-5. Unexpectedly, she felt pain in her left wrist at the end of the first set, took a brief medical timeout and continued — but her two-handed backhand was no longer a weapon. She lost the second set 4-6 and the third set under her usual level. Even at 4-5 down she still had a break point on her opponent’s serve, but three rushed unforced errors decided the match. After more than 3 hours, Yuliia’s dream of reaching the US Open main draw 2023 was over. She received by far her biggest career prize money up to that point — and gained the huge experience of having played a Grand Slam. Considering that she had no ranking and almost no money in January of the same year, this „zero to 200“ development is more than impressive.
August 2023
Outlook after the US Open
Yuliia kept working to develop her game and continued playing tournaments to improve her ranking toward the end of the year. The next big target was already clear: intensive preparation for the Australian Open in January 2024. Above all, she had proven how much progress can be made when attitude, discipline and belief in a dream come together.
November 2023
Looking back — winner ITF $60K Rancho Santa Fe
Winner of the ITF $60K in Rancho Santa Fe, USA — singles & doubles competition (15 October 2023). „Starodubtseva into top 200 as sizzling season takes in fourth ITF crown“ (itftennis.com). Singles live ranking: WTA #159. Doubles ranking: WTA #190.
Dezember 2023
Trip to Australia
Due to the improved ranking in the course of 2023, it was clear early on that Yuliia would also play the next Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne. After a relatively short preparation in December, Yuliia, together with her Australian boyfriend and hitting coach, traveled to Sydney shortly before Christmas to spend the holidays with her partner’s family.
Januar 2024
Preparation tournament in Sydney
At the beginning of January, Yuliia played one of the higher-category WTA pre-tournaments in Sydney, winning two matches before losing to her Ukrainian compatriot Dayana Yastremska. A positive experience — only her second major WTA event so far. The match against Dayana was very even; Dayana would even reach the semi-finals at the subsequent Australian Open as a qualifier.
Januar 2024
Qualification for the Australian Open
Yuliia had to win at least three qualification matches at the Australian Open to enter a Grand Slam main draw for the first time. She did exactly that. With three great victories — including a highly dramatic match in the last qualifying round in which Yuliia won 7-6 in the deciding match tiebreaker — she finally secured her ticket to the 128-player main draw.
Januar 2024
First round of the AO — vs. Ons Jabeur
The anticipation was huge and the first-round opponent could not have been more spectacular. Yuliia found herself on one of the big courts of the tournament, the Margaret Court Arena. Her opponent was three-time Grand Slam finalist and world #6 Ons Jabeur from Tunisia. There was an open exchange — for Yuliia, unfortunately, with a too clear result against herself: 3-6 / 1-6. In retrospect, Yuliia felt overwhelmed by the big crowd and Jabeur, a crowd favorite, was experienced enough to use these conditions to her advantage. Nevertheless, a fantastic experience — also live on TV and as a great ambassador of her country at war.
Januar 2024
Rewards and prospects for the future
If anyone had predicted Yuliia’s sporting development a year earlier, it would have been crazy to take it seriously. As a consolation for the loss against Jabeur, Yuliia received total prize money of $120,000 Australian Dollars (~$80,000 USD). As a reminder: in January 2023 she had no world ranking, no apartment, no money and no way to safely travel home. A year later, Yuliia had earned a world ranking of #136 and a baseline that allowed her to plan 2024 a little more relaxed. We are already excited for what comes next!
April 2024
Billie Jean King Cup — call-up to Ukraine’s national team
For the team competition of the former „Fed Cup“, Ukraine vs. Romania was moved early to Amelia Island in Florida due to the ongoing war. The fact that Yuliia, despite great competition from top players in her own country, was named one of five players for her national team was already a great honour. Although Yuliia was not played in the singles, she supported her teammates, including world-class player Elina Svitolina. The atmosphere was very positive, especially after Ukraine won both opening singles to lead 2-0. Somewhat surprisingly, Romania turned the tie around on the second day, winning the next two singles and the decisive doubles for a 3-2 final score. Despite the defeat for Ukraine, it was a great experience for Yuliia.
Mai 2024
European clay court season
Next on the programme were the European clay court tournaments and a team-tennis stint in Germany. After a short preparation in Mallorca, Spain, under the personal guidance of Eric van Harpen — one of the most successful coaches in women’s tennis — Yuliia traveled to a $100,000 Challenger in Portugal, winning three matches before losing very close in the semi-finals to the eventual champion Jana Fett. Immediately afterwards Yuliia played two Bundesliga matches in Berlin as the top player of LTTC Rot-Weiss Berlin, winning both singles — including a straight-set win over Germany’s number 1 Tatjana Maria of German champion „Bredeney Essen“. Berlin sensationally won the entire tie. Then, at the WTA 1000 in Rome, Yuliia narrowly lost the last round of an extremely strong qualification 4-6 in the third set against Katie Volynetz, who almost beat world #2 Sabalenka in the main draw.
Juni 2024
French Open — second Grand Slam of the year
The next career highlight for Yuliia was the French Open at Roland Garros. With world ranking #135, Yuliia again had to play through qualification — and won all three matches smoothly in two sets. Guided by her American coach Carl Thorsen, she had qualified for a Grand Slam main draw for the second time in a row. In the first round of Roland Garros she faced world #72 Cristina Bucsa from Spain. After a 4-3 lead in the first set, Yuliia could not maintain control and finally lost 4-6 / 1-6, well below her potential. The bottom line: the French Open campaign was still a clear success.
Ausblick 2024
Outlook — preparation for Wimbledon
Yuliia will now prepare intensively with coach Eric van Harpen for the Ladies Open in Berlin, a WTA 500 grass court event. Afterwards comes the next highlight: her first participation at Wimbledon, the third and arguably most prestigious Grand Slam tournament of the year.
