Yuliia Starodubtseva is a Ukrainian player known for her fast journey from collegiate tennis to the upper parts of the WTA Tour. She has won four singles titles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. But what is her racquet and gear?
Yuliia Starodubtseva’s tennis racquet setup
Yuliia Starodubtseva has been seen using Pure Aero, Pure Strike and Blade if you do an image search, but she is currently using some form of HEAD Gravity racquet. This racquet is growing in popularity on the WTA Tour with players like Avanesyan, Tagger and Starodubtseva using it, to name a few. As most WTA players use lighter racquets, I would guess it is the Gravity MP, but if you have more information about Starodubtseva’s racquet and string setup, please comment below or reach out on Instagram to @tennisnerdinsta.
Player info
- Born: February 17, 2000 (Kakhovka, Ukraine)
- Plays: Right-handed with a two-handed backhand
- Career-High Ranking: No. 53 (April 2026)
- College: Old Dominion University (ODU)
- Current coach: Pearse Dolan
- Favorite shot: Forehand
- Favorite surface: Hard-court
Yuliia started playing tennis already at the age of five.
Unlike many pros who skip higher education, Starodubtseva was a good player at Old Dominion University. She was a multi-time All-American and was named the 2022 Conference USA Player of the Year. She finished her collegiate career as one of the most decorated players in the school’s history before transitioning full-time to the pro circuit in late 2022.
Career Highlights
She made history in 2024 by becoming the first woman in the Open Era to successfully play through the qualifying rounds and reach the main draw of all four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in a single calendar year.
WTA 1000 Breakthrough (2024 China Open)
Her breakout on the big stage came in Beijing at the China Open. After qualifying, she went on a run, defeating top-30 players like Siniakova and Kalinskaya to reach her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal, this took her into the top 100 of the WTA rankings.
First WTA Final (2026 Charleston Open)
In April 2026, the Ukrainian reached her first-ever WTA Tour final at the Charleston Open. En route to the final, she secured a dominant victory over former champion Madison Keys. Although she finished as the runner-up to Jessica Pegula, the performance got her to a career-high ranking of No. 53.
Starodubtseva is recognized for her great court coverage and tactical intelligence. At 173 cm (5’8″) height, she doesn’t rely solely on power but rather on her ability to extend rallies and her solid first-serve percentage.
Fans can follow her here on her official Insstagram profile where she occasionally posts from her career.
