Elena Rybakina, fresh from her historic ascent to the summit of the women's rankings after clinching her second Grand Slam title of 2026 at the US Open, experienced a shocking reversal of fortunes in her first match as the world number one. Facing Alina Charaeva, a relatively unknown player from Armenia ranked No. 118, Rybakina was expected to cruise through the opening round of the China Open. Instead, the young underdog produced a performance that stunned the tennis world, handing the newly crowned world leader a 6-3, 4-6, 6-6 loss and sending her crashing back to reality.
Charaeva, who had never before faced an opponent inside the top‑20, displayed a level of composure and tactical acuity rarely seen from a player of her ranking. By breaking Rybakina’s serve early in the first set and maintaining aggressive baseline rallies, she built a solid lead that the world number one could not overturn.
After a brief resurgence in the second set, where Rybakina managed to take the set 6-4, the momentum shifted decisively in Charaeva’s favor. The final set saw the Armenian teenager sustain her intensity, eventually closing out the match with a 6-3 finish.
When asked about the result, a visibly emotional Charaeva admitted she was at a loss for words. "It’s unbelievable," she said. "Elena is an incredible player, she’s been dominant all season, winning two Grand Slams, and to beat her feels like a dream come true. I just tried to stay mentally tough and believed I could turn the tide.
Never stop believing, I guess!" Her remarks captured both the awe of defeating a world‑class opponent and the determination that propelled her to this historic upset. The upset set up a round‑of‑32 encounter for Charaeva against Britain’s promising youngster Sonay Kartal, a match that promises further intrigue for fans eager to see whether the underdog can continue her remarkable run. In other news from the Asian swing, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz fought through a nerve‑wracking first‑set tiebreak to secure a place in the Japan Open quarter‑finals.
After edging a 7-6 (8-6) opening set against Matteo Arnaldi, Alcaraz dominated the second set 6-1, showcasing his trademark resilience and ability to shift gears mid‑match. The Spaniard, now ranked world No. 3, will meet world No.
46 Denis Shapovalov, who advanced after a hard‑fought three‑set victory over Alejandro Tabilo. Alcaraz reflected on his performance, noting, "I just tried to stay there, point after point.
I changed my tactics when I needed to, and it paid off. I’m happy to have taken the first set; Matteo played great tennis, too." His victory adds another chapter to his rapid rise and reinforces his status as a leading contender for the year‑end ATP Finals. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, earning a quarter‑final spot against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, the player who eliminated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
Over at the China Open, German star Alexander Zverev, fresh from his US Open triumph, dispatched wildcard Juncheng Shang in straight sets (6-0, 6-3) to set up a blockbuster quarter‑final against Novak Djokovic, a clash that promises high drama and significant ranking implications. Australian veteran Alex de Minaur, rebounding from a second‑round US Open loss, found his rhythm against France’s Quentin Halys, winning in three sets to book a quarter‑final against Russia’s Andrey Rublev.
Both players are eyeing crucial points in the Race to Turin, as the ATP Finals field narrows. Rublev, having survived a second‑set comeback from Roman Safiullin, secured his quarter‑final berth with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory. Daniil Medvedev continued his strong form, cruising past Jan‑Lennard Struff in straight sets and awaiting the winner of the Francisco Cerundolo versus Jakub Mensik match to determine his next opponent. On the women’s side, after a brief hiatus following her US Open semi‑final loss to Rybakina, American sensation Coco Gauff returned to action at the China Open.
She edged world No. 66 Camila Osorio in a tightly contested three‑set battle (7-6(7-4), 4-6, 6-2), showcasing her mental fortitude in a first‑set tiebreak and later rebounding after dropping the second set.
Gauff’s victory sets up a clash with China’s Xinran Sun, offering a platform for the American to regain momentum ahead of the season’s final events. British hopeful Harriet Dart started brightly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the opening set before faltering in the next two, ultimately losing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Dart’s performance highlighted the fine margins at this level, where a strong start can quickly evaporate without sustained aggression. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, after an early exit at the US Open, returned to the court with a dominant display, converting five break points to defeat China’s Xinyu Gao 6-2, 6-3.
Swiatek’s swift victory underscored her readiness to contend for titles as the season draws to a close. In another notable comeback, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina rallied from a set down against Czech Katerina Siniakova, turning a 1-6 deficit into a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 win and securing her place in the next round. Her resilience exemplified the depth of experience present on the WTA tour. Fans can follow all of these matches and more through live streams on NOW and the Sky Sports app, which provide contract‑free access to the ATP Japan Open, WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters.
The Asian leg of the tour continues to deliver unexpected twists, fierce competition, and the kind of storylines that keep tennis enthusiasts worldwide on the edge of their seats.