Elena Rybakina experienced a dramatic upset at the China Open, losing her first match after ascending to the top of the WTA rankings. The 2026 US Open champion, who clinched her second Grand Slam title earlier this year, was handed a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 defeat by Alina Charaeva, a player ranked 118th in the world and representing Armenia. This loss marked a stark contrast to Rybakina's recent surge, as she had just claimed the world No.1 spot following her triumph in New York. Charaeva entered the tournament with no prior experience against a top‑20 opponent.
Yet she displayed remarkable composure and tactical awareness, turning the match into a showcase of her growing confidence. After sealing the win, the young Armenian said, "I don't have words. This is incredible. Of course Elena is an amazing player who is doing really good this season winning two Grand Slams.
For me it's just a dream come true. I just tried to stay hard mentally and keep believing I could turn around the game to my side.
Never stop believing, I guess!" Her statement captured the emotional weight of the victory, which will undoubtedly boost her ranking and reputation on the tour. The upset also set up a round‑of‑32 encounter for Charaeva against Britain's Sonay Kartal, adding another intriguing storyline to the China Open draw. Meanwhile, the tournament continued to deliver a series of compelling matches across both the men's and women's draws. In Tokyo, Carlos Alcaraz fought through a tense first‑set tiebreak to secure a place in the Japan Open quarter‑finals.
The Spaniard edged Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, after saving four set points in the opening set and eventually turning the tide in his favor. Alcaraz explained his approach, saying, "I just tried to stay there, point after point. I changed how I played until that moment and it worked out. I'm just happy I got that first set.
Matteo was playing great." His victory sets up a clash with world No.46 Denis Shapovalov, who earned his quarter‑final spot by defeating Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. Other notable performances in Tokyo included Jiri Lehecka's comeback win over Ugo Humbert, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, which propelled him into a quarter‑final against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, the player who eliminated Italy's Matteo Berrettini. Over in Beijing, Alexander Zverev, fresh off his US Open triumph, dispatched wildcard Juncheng Shang 6-0, 6-3, setting up a high‑profile quarter‑final against Novak Djokovic. Australian Alex de Minaur also returned to form after an early exit at the US Open, beating France's Quentin Halys in three sets to book a quarter‑final against Andrey Rublev.
Both players are chasing valuable Race to Turin points as they vie for the remaining slots at this year's ATP Finals. Rublev, meanwhile, secured his own quarter‑final berth by overcoming Roman Safiullin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, demonstrating his resilience after dropping the second set.
On the women's side, after a semi‑final loss to Rybakina at the US Open, Coco Gauff returned from a short break to claim a 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2 victory over world No.66 Camila Osorio. Gauff survived a break at 4-5 in the second set, and despite Osorio saving two match points, the American prevailed and will now face China's Xinran Sun.
Britain's Harriet Dart started brightly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the first set, but could not maintain momentum, eventually falling 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. In another match, Iga Swiatek, fresh from a round‑of‑16 exit at the US Open, dominated China's Xinyu Gao 6-2, 6-3, converting five break points and displaying the aggressive baseline play that has defined her season. Elina Svitolina also demonstrated tenacity, rallying from a set down to defeat Czech Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, securing her progression to the next round. These results underline the depth and unpredictability of the current tennis landscape, where rising stars and established champions frequently intersect.
Fans can follow the ongoing action through streaming services that require no contract, such as NOW and the Sky Sports app, which broadcast the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters live. The combination of surprise upsets, hard‑fought comebacks, and emerging talent ensures that the Asian swing of the season remains a focal point for tennis enthusiasts worldwide.