Charleston's Yuliia Starodubtseva Reaches First WTA Final

The 24-year-old Ukrainian qualifier has a remarkable journey to the Charleston Open title match.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 10:30pm

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Yuliia Starodubtseva, the World No. 89 from Ukraine, has reached the first WTA Tour final of her career at the Charleston Open. After a difficult 2025 season, the 24-year-old has found her stride in Charleston, where she is the first qualifier to make the final. Starodubtseva's path to the pros included a successful college career at Old Dominion University and a stint coaching at a country club in New York, where she honed her skills on the green clay that has served her well this week.

Why it matters

Starodubtseva's run to the Charleston final is a remarkable achievement for the young Ukrainian player, who has overcome financial and confidence challenges to reach this milestone in her career. Her story highlights the diverse paths players can take to the professional ranks, and her success as a qualifier is an inspiration to up-and-coming players looking to break through on the WTA Tour.

The details

After a disappointing 2025 season, Starodubtseva entered the Charleston Open as a qualifier, but a withdrawal moved her into the main draw. She has since reeled off five consecutive wins, including a quarterfinal victory over McCartney Kessler, a former college rival. Starodubtseva credits her time coaching on the green clay courts at a country club in Westchester, New York for helping her feel comfortable on the surface in Charleston. She is coached by her longtime boyfriend, Pearse Dolan, whom she met while they were both students at Old Dominion University.

  • Starodubtseva played collegiately at Old Dominion University from 2018 to 2022.
  • After graduating, she spent a year coaching at Westchester Country Club in New York.
  • Starodubtseva entered the 2026 Charleston Open as a qualifier, but a withdrawal moved her into the main draw.

The players

Yuliia Starodubtseva

A 24-year-old Ukrainian tennis player who is ranked World No. 89 and has reached the first WTA Tour final of her career at the 2026 Charleston Open.

Pearse Dolan

Starodubtseva's longtime boyfriend and main coach, who played on the men's tennis team at Old Dominion University while Starodubtseva was on the women's team.

Eric Hechtman

A coach who Starodubtseva has recently added to her team on a trial basis, and who has previously coached players like Peyton Stearns and Venus Williams.

McCartney Kessler

An American college tennis player who defeated Starodubtseva in a three-set match while they were both competing for their respective universities, and who Starodubtseva later defeated in the quarterfinals of the Charleston Open.

Jessica Pegula

The defending champion of the Charleston Open, who Starodubtseva will face in the final.

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What they’re saying

“I couldn't like maybe find a steady line where I like stay and maybe play the same level. I was a bit up and down. I feel like hopefully now I think it is getting better and I'm getting more consistent. The biggest thing I've been working on is to bring up my floor, because I feel like my ceiling is there. I can reach my ceiling, but I need my floor to be higher, and I feel I'm doing better with that.”

— Yuliia Starodubtseva, WTA Player

“In all fairness, like I was 17 years old, and I had no idea about American colleges. It just seemed like a great opportunity, especially at that moment I wasn't able to go pro. I went to a few (ITF) tournaments. I didn't do super well. So we weren't sure, and American college seemed like a great opportunity.”

— Yuliia Starodubtseva, WTA Player

“There is an inside joke that I'm so comfortable on green clay because I coached it for a year.”

— Yuliia Starodubtseva, WTA Player

“Harder. I feel like I'm a great coach. So I have high standards. It makes it harder, but I feel like I have a good team right now. And I have people that listen to me, and I listen to them, and it's working.”

— Yuliia Starodubtseva, WTA Player

What’s next

Starodubtseva will face defending champion Jessica Pegula in the final of the 2026 Charleston Open on Sunday, April 7th.

The takeaway

Yuliia Starodubtseva's remarkable journey to the Charleston Open final, from her college days at Old Dominion to her time coaching on green clay courts, demonstrates the diverse paths players can take to reach the top levels of professional tennis. Her perseverance and self-belief have paid off, and her success as a qualifier is an inspiration to up-and-coming players around the world.