Aryna Sabalenka stumbles in Cincinnati: The WTA throne under threat
Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka suffered an unexpected defeat in the round of 16 of the Cincinnati Open this Wednesday, a result that shakes up the WTA world rankings. The world number one fell to Czech player Sara Bejlek, who won with sets of 7-6(7) and 6-4 after an hour and 55 minutes of intense battle on the court.
This setback marks a milestone in the career of Bejlek, currently ranked 35th in the world, as she secures her first victory against a player ranked in the Top 10 of the professional circuit. The Czech player showed a remarkable ability to recover, managing to come back from adverse scores in both sets, including a 5-1 deficit in the first-set tiebreak and a 4-1 disadvantage in the second, where she strung together five consecutive games to seal the match.
Elena Rybakina stalks the number one
Sabalenka’s elimination puts her stay at the top of women’s tennis, a position she has held for 96 weeks, in serious jeopardy. Kazakh Elena Rybakina, world number two, now has the opportunity to displace her from the throne if she manages to reach the tournament’s grand final this Sunday.
Sabalenka’s consistency has been put to the test after a 2026 without Grand Slam titles, which adds pressure to her preparation ahead of the upcoming US Open.
Rybakina’s path to the top will not be simple, as she must overcome a complex quarterfinal duel this Thursday against the Pole Iga Swiatek, number five in the world ranking.
A critical moment heading into the US Open
For Sabalenka, this result represents a hard emotional and sporting blow. After having won the US Open in 2024 and 2025, the Belarusian arrives at the current edition with doubts, after stringing together early eliminations in the Canada and Cincinnati tournaments against rivals who, in theory, were far from her level in the world rankings.
- Bejlek achieved her first victory against a Top 10 player.
- Sabalenka records 96 consecutive weeks as the ranking leader.
- Rybakina will face Swiatek in search of securing the world number one spot.
