Back-to-Back Shocks Rattle Beijing Draw
The China Open has produced one of the most dramatic opening weeks in recent memory. World number one Elena Rybakina was eliminated on Saturday by Alina Charaeva, ranked 118th in the world, in what was already a stunning result. Then on Sunday, world number two Aryna Sabalenka followed her out, beaten 6-4 6-3 by 20-year-old Czech player Nikola Bartunkova. It marks the first time since 2015 that the tournament's top two seeds have both failed to reach the round of 16 at this event. Bartunkova, who was seeded 26th in Beijing, controlled the match with impressive composure, and Sabalenka wasted all five of her break-point opportunities in the opening set before throwing her racquet in frustration early in the second. Bartunkova summed up the moment simply after the match, describing Sabalenka as a legend and expressing genuine delight at the result.
Sabalenka's Difficult Season and the No. 1 Picture
This defeat caps a rough stretch for Sabalenka, who has now gone nine consecutive tournaments without lifting a trophy since her Indian Wells and Miami Open double back in March. She also fell short in the US Open final last month, where Rybakina defeated her to claim the top ranking. Sabalenka's early exit actually widens the gap between the pair in the rankings rather than narrowing it, since she dropped more points than she earned relative to her 2025 result. Rybakina now sits 2,211 points clear, making her the strong favorite to finish 2026 as world number one. Bartunkova, meanwhile, continues what has been a breakthrough campaign and next faces Austria's Sinja Kraus. TennisDraw users tracking the WTA Finals race will want to update their bracket picks after this wild week in Beijing.
