Elena Rybakina’s first appearance since clinching the world No.1 ranking ended in a stunning upset at the China Open, where she was beaten by the 118th‑ranked Alina Charaeva. Rybakina had ascended to the top of the WTA ladder after capturing her second Grand Slam title of 2026 at the US Open, but her triumph was short‑lived. In Saturday afternoon’s first‑round match, the Kazakh‑born star was handed a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss by the unseeded Armenian teenager, sending shockwaves through the tournament and the tennis world.
Charaeva, who had never before faced a player inside the top‑20, displayed composure beyond her years. After sealing the victory, she could barely contain her excitement, saying, "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 the game around to my side. Never stop believing, I guess!" Her win not only knocked the world‑number‑one out of the competition but also earned her a round‑of‑32 showdown with Britain’s Sonay Kartal. The China Open continued to produce dramatic moments across both the women’s and men’s draws.
In Tokyo, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz survived a nerve‑racking first‑set tiebreak to advance to the quarter‑finals of the Japan Open. After saving four set points and turning a 2‑5 deficit in the tiebreak into a 7‑6 (8‑6) win, Alcaraz dominated the second set 6‑1 against Matteo Arnaldi, breaking his opponent twice. The world No.3 reflected on his performance, noting, "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." Alcaraz’s victory set up a clash with world No.46 Denis Shapovalov, who had earned his quarter‑final berth by defeating Alejandro Tabilo 7‑5, 3‑6, 6‑4 in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to beat France’s Ugo Humbert 5‑7, 6‑4, 6‑4, securing a place against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, the player who eliminated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
Back in Beijing, former US Open champion Alexander Zverev brushed aside wildcard Juncheng Shang with a comfortable 6‑0, 6‑3 win, positioning himself for a high‑profile quarter‑final encounter with Novak Djokovic. Zverev’s form has been a bright spot after his disappointing second‑round exit at the US Open earlier in the season. Australian rising star Alex de Minaur also found his stride after a tough loss at the US Open.
He dispatched France’s Quentin Halys in three sets on Saturday, earning a quarter‑final spot against Andrey Rublev. Both players are chasing valuable Race to Turin points as they vie for the remaining positions at the year‑end ATP Finals.
Rublev, fresh from a hard‑fought 6‑2, 3‑6, 6‑4 win over Roman Safiullin, will look to maintain his momentum. In the men’s draw, Daniil Medvedev continued his dominant run, beating Jan‑Lennard Struff in straight sets and setting up a future match with the winner of Francisco Cerúndolo versus Jakub Mensik. Medvedev’s powerful baseline game remains a benchmark for consistency on the tour.
The women’s side of the tournament also featured notable storylines. After a three‑week hiatus following her US Open semi‑final loss to Rybakina, American star Coco Gauff returned to action with a gritty 7‑6(7‑4), 4‑6, 6‑2 victory over world No.66 Camila Osorio. Gauff survived a first‑set tiebreak, dropped the second after a late break at 4‑5, and then sealed the match by holding her nerve in the final set, earning a clash with China’s Xinran Sun.
Britain’s Harriet Dart opened strongly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the first set 6‑2, but she could not sustain the momentum. Jovic rallied to win the next two sets 6‑3, 6‑3, handing Dart a 2‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3 defeat. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, fresh from a last‑16 exit at the US Open, returned to the court on Saturday and displayed her trademark aggression, converting five break points to defeat China’s Xinyu Gao 6‑2, 6‑3.
Swiatek’s performance underscored her status as the tour’s most consistent player. Former world No.2 Elina Svitolina also showed resilience, overcoming a set deficit against Czech Katerina Siniakova. After dropping the opening set 1‑6, Svitolina rallied to claim the next two 6‑4, 6‑2, securing her place in the next round.
Overall, the China Open and Japan Open have delivered a blend of surprise upsets, comeback victories, and high‑stakes battles for ranking points. Fans can follow the action live via the Sky Sports app or NOW streaming service, where both ATP and WTA events—including the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters—are available without a contract.
The tournaments continue to shape the narrative of the 2026 season, as players chase titles, ranking climbs, and qualification for the prestigious year‑end championships.