Ukrainian tennis player Anastasia Soboleva has achieved a significant career milestone by qualifying for her first-ever Grand Slam main draw at the French Open 2025. The 21-year-old from Dnipro secured her place after an impressive victory in the final qualifying round.
Facing British 22nd seed Francesca Jones, Soboleva delivered a remarkable performance in a match with dramatic momentum shifts. The Ukrainian dominated the opening set with a perfect 6:0 score, then suffered a complete reversal in the second set by the same score, before regaining control to win the decisive third set 6:2.
Statistically, Soboleva's performance was notable for her efficiency on break points, converting all seven opportunities. She also recorded one ace and won 29 active points throughout the contest. Her aggressive style did come with some costs - she committed two double faults and 22 unforced errors during the match.
The victory was particularly impressive considering the odds stacked against her. According to Statbet, Soboleva entered the match as a clear underdog with bookmakers offering odds of 4.0 for her victory compared to just 1.22 for Jones.
This qualification represents a breakthrough after previous disappointments in Grand Slam qualifying rounds. Soboleva had fallen short in her three previous attempts - at Wimbledon and the US Open last season, and at the Australian Open earlier this year.
With this victory, Soboleva joins a strong Ukrainian contingent at Roland Garros 2025. Her compatriots Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska, and Angelina Kalinina have all directly qualified for the main draw based on their rankings.
