How Yuliia Starodubtseva's shock win over Elena Rybakina at French Open could set off marriage proposal - 'He's getting scared now!'

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Yuliia Starodubtseva pulled off the win of her career as she beat Elena Rybakina at the French Open - and revealed afterwards why the result means her boyfriend could soon be proposing to her.

Starodubtseva reveals why boyfriend may soon propose after shock Rybakina win

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Starodubtseva recovered from a set down to shock Australian Open champion Rybakina 3-6 6-1 7-6(4) in the second round in Paris.

It is the biggest upset of the Grand Slam so far and the first top-10 win of Starodubtseva’s career.

It is also set to see her move up one spot in the live WTA rankings to No. 54 in the world, which is potentially significant.

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”I'll tell you a funny thing,” she said afterwards.

”My boyfriend is my coach, and he told me if I break through the top 50, he'll propose.

”He's getting scared now. I'm getting close.”

Starodubtseva faces qualifier Wang Xiyu in the third round of the Grand Slam.

If she wins it will likely be enough to see her move into the top 50 in the WTA world rankings.

If that means her boyfriend proposes she is happy to let him plan it, with one strict condition.

”I don't pressure him at all, I let him think on his own, whatever he wants to do,” she said with a laugh.

”Just not on court, please.”

Starodubtseva started the season ranked outside the top 100 in the world.

She made her first WTA 500 final in Charleston to start the clay season and says belief was key to her impressive victory over Rybakina.

"I feel like if you are trying to beat one of the best, you have to think that you can beat the best.

"I was trying to go into this match with this mindset, try not to give too much respect, even though she's a great player and someone you can look up to. She's obviously No. 2 in the world. But I feel like, again, if you're trying to be one of those players, you need to start and believe you can beat them."

Rybakina has recorded a tour-leading 31 wins this season and also won a clay title in Stuttgart.

But she couldn’t find her best level against Starodubtseva in hot and dry conditions.

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"Definitely the energy was not there," Rybakina said.

"I just couldn't find the right balance on the ball. It was very slippery. In some moments, I was just putting my legs, but it was everything out of rhythm. It's tough to say. I think that on the practices it was not as bad. Definitely, when it's so hot, the ball is flying. It's very difficult to control.

”Especially me being always aggressive, trying to play fast and step in, if you don't give enough spin or if your hands are not as fast, the ball is flying everywhere. For me, it was, as I said, too many mistakes that I can't even talk about coming to the net and all these things."

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