World number two Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprise defeat at the China Open, losing to Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament.
Bartunkova, ranked 34th in the world, produced one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by beating Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3. The result came a day after top seed Elena Rybakina was also eliminated. Rybakina, who defeated Sabalenka in last month’s US Open final and subsequently reclaimed the world number one ranking, lost to world number 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia.
Bartunkova said she focused on staying composed against the two-time Grand Slam champion.
“I focused on myself, to be calm,” she said.
“She’s a legend, so I’m really happy that I won the match.”
The Czech player will face Austria’s Sinja Kraus in the next round. For Sabalenka, the defeat extends a difficult period by her usual standards. She has not won a title since March, when she completed the Sunshine Double by winning consecutive WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open. She will also finish the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022.
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