Another huge upset - Aryna Sabalenka follows in Elena Rybakina's footsteps after latest early exit in deficient 2026 campaign
WTA
The WTA draw has been blown wide open with another huge name exiting the China Open. Aryna Sabalenka'a topsy turvery season continues as she falls short in a terrible 6-4, 6-3 defeat against Nikola Bartunkova.
The Belarusian's 2026 campaign has not been a glittering success compared to the high standards she sets herself. The highlights came in North America as she won the Sunshine double. Australian Open and US Open final defeats have also occurred, but aside from that there is not much to celebrate about.
She has picked up just six wins from her prior four WTA 1000 tournaments competed in, consistently getting unstuck time after time with some damaging defeats.
The latest came in Beijing with Bartunkova taking her down. The Czech had previously played against Sabalenka back at the Berlin Ladies Open, taking a 6-2, 4-0 lead at one point. Sabalenka completed an incredible comeback, but this time she was not able to pull it off.
This was Sabalenka's first time competing when not being the No.1 seed since taking back the top spot from Iga Swiatek back in October 2024. 99 weeks later, Elena Rybakina's would win the US Open and leap ahead of her. The Kazakh's stunning exit yesterday opened the door for Sabalenka, but even she failed to capitalise.
Aryna Sabalenka suffered her earliest China Open exit since 2019
Sabalenka crashes out of China Open
Sabalenka started the match on the back foot, being broken in the first game of the match as Bartunkova stole an early march. She was leading, but that did not mean she was clear. Against an opponent with the class and prestige of Sabalenka, Bartunkova could not take anything for granted.
She sealed another hold in the sixth game to lead 4-2, but that was after five break points were wasted. A game later, the 28th seed failed to convert one of her three chances. That would not matter. A brace of holds to love got her over the line to seal the first set.
Bartunkova again was the one to storm out in front. Her set lead was soon boosted with a break of serve in the second set with her second opportunity. Some tight holds followed as Sabalenka desperately tried to find a pathway back into the match.
She would not create a single break point in the second set. In fact, there were only two more break points in the second set and they both went to lower ranked player. She failed to convert the first one but the next came in the form of a match point. She took it and caused the latest upset result in the Chinese capital.
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"She is very talented, and moves well on court," Sabalenka said of her opponent after the match. "She also serves well so you have to convert your chances against her. She can serve really well and to return from shade or sun is tricky. I wasn’t good at this today."
Another early exit for the four-time Grand Slam champion again is another huge concern. She will hope to get back to her best at the Wuhan Open. It is a tournament she has been incredibly successful at, winning the titles in 2018, 2019 and 2024 with her first loss coming last year in the semi-finals.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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mandoist29-09-2026 - Let's not BS the general public -- Sabalenka started showing cracks in her game last season. Her losses and near-losses started at about the same time she began being distracted by Fame (constant Selfies, making TV commercials, magazine shoots, endless Social Media nonsense, etc., etc.) One would think even Saba could recognize the parallels with others who failed before her -- Raducanu, Giorgi, Bouchard to name a few.mandoist25-09-2026
- Gross!! Hey Raducanu, Giorgi, and Bouchard -- reserve a seat at your Social Media Selfie table for Saba + Naomi. They're heading in your direction soon enough.mandoist24-09-2026
- And then these same players will complain about how lengthy their season’s were and need more time-off. I’m all for more tennis but the amount of tennis we get now is actually kind of crazy! We all need a break, especially the players.DaveyWavey23-09-2026
- You should do a comparison article for "different kinds of justice" the courts decide for tennis players. I can think of at least three players who received very small bans of a few months, however Tara Moore has been fighting for her literal survival the past few years. It seems odd considering she is not a "name" player, unlike the other cases.DaveyWavey22-09-2026
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- Pegula withdrew from this Singapore event
tennishappens19-09-2026 - Serena Williams chose her tournaments. It's not such a bad idea.MuswellHillbilly17-09-2026
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