Sabalenka beaten 6-4 6-3 by Bartunkova at China Open

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number two, was defeated 6-4 6-3 by 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova at the China Open on 4 October 2026, ending Sabalenka's run in the WTA 1000 event.

The result came a day after top seed Elena Rybakina was eliminated; Rybakina, who defeated Sabalenka in last month's US Open final and replaced the Belarusian at the top of the rankings, was knocked out by Armenian world number 118 Alina Charaeva. Bartunkova's victory was described in the report as part of a breakthrough season for the Czech player, and the outcome left the tournament with neither of the top two seeds through to the round of 16 for the first time since 2015.

"I focused on myself, to be calm," said Bartunkova after the win. "She's a legend, so I'm really happy that I won the match."

Sabalenka has lost six consecutive matches after dropping the first set, and she has not won a title since completing the 'Sunshine Double' in March, when she triumphed at Indian Wells and the Miami Open back-to-back. The report noted she will finish without a Grand Slam trophy for the first time since 2022 and that she has often struggled to control her frustrations on court; against Bartunkova she failed to convert any of her five break points and she threw her racquet after falling a break down early in the second set.

At the Japan Open, Carlos Alcaraz reached the semi-finals when Denis Shapovalov retired with an injury to his right thigh; Alcaraz, the defending champion in Tokyo, had saved a set point in the opening set and was leading 7-6 (7-3) 2-1 when the Canadian withdrew. The match was Alcaraz's third event since returning from a wrist injury at last month's US Open, where he fell to Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals.

Bartunkova will face Austria's Sinja Kraus next in the China Open, while Alcaraz will play Jaume Munar for a place in the Japan Open final.