Ann Li stuns top seed Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) at Wuhan Open

Unseeded American Ann Li defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in the round of 32 at the Wuhan Open on October 14, 2026, in a match that lasted two hours and 27 minutes. The result eliminated Sabalenka from the tournament and advanced Li into the round of 16.

Sabalenka entered the match as the tournament’s No.1 seed and is described in reports as a four-time Grand Slam champion. The defeat extended a difficult run for the 28-year-old, who has not won a title since completing the Sunshine Double with triumphs at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this year and who reached the US Open final last month only to lose to Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka also suffered a third-round exit at the China Open earlier this month and lost the world No. 1 ranking to Rybakina following the US Open; she had previously won the Wuhan title in 2018, 2019 and 2024.

During the match Sabalenka looked poised to progress after winning the opening set, but Li, ranked 31st in the world, recovered to force a decider. Li came back from 4-2 down in the second set to take the match to a final set, then produced a composed performance under pressure to claim what was described as the biggest win of her career.

Sabalenka fell 4-1 behind in the deciding set and took a medical timeout before mounting a comeback that saw her save five match points and hold serve to stay alive at 5-3. Li ultimately closed out the victory by converting her 10th match point in the final set tiebreak.

Statistically the match favoured Li in error count: Sabalenka committed 44 unforced errors compared with Li’s 28. The WTA tweeted: "Ann Li defeats the No.1 seed in Wuhan! #dongfengvoyahwuhanopen https://t.co/UXmnwsiJDK" — wta (@WTA) October 14, 2026.

Li will face Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the round of 16 after Tjen defeated Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 7-5, 6-3. The tournament produced another upset on the same day when second seed Jessica Pegula lost 2-6, 7-6(7), 3-6 to Jelena Ostapenko.

Li’s victory ended Sabalenka’s bid for a fourth Wuhan title and sends the American into her next match with momentum as she prepares to meet Janice Tjen in the round of 16.