In a surprising turn of events at the Beijing WTA 1000 tournament, world number two Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated just a day after the top‑seeded Elena Rybakina suffered a shock defeat. The 20‑year‑old Czech teenager Nikola Bartúnkova produced a commanding performance, beating the four‑time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-3, thereby ensuring that both of the tournament's highest‑ranked players were out in the opening round. Rybakina's loss on Saturday had already sent ripples through the draw, and Sabalenka's early departure on Sunday cemented an unexpected reshuffling of the competition.
The Belarusian, who entered the event with a strong résumé that includes a quarter‑final appearance in Madrid, a quarter‑final in Rome, a round of 32 showing at the French Open, a semi‑final run in Berlin, a round of 16 finish at Wimbledon, and deep runs in Toronto, Cincinnati and the US Open, was unable to replicate her past successes in Beijing. Historically, Sabalenka has never advanced past the quarter‑final stage at this particular tournament, and her performance this week continued that trend. During the match, Sabalenka squandered five break‑point opportunities in the first set, a sign that her serving rhythm was off. "I was frustrated with my serve; I couldn't find a good way of serving and I was struggling almost every game on serve," the 28‑year‑old admitted after the match.
Her inability to hold serve allowed Bartúnkova to seize control early and maintain the lead throughout both sets. Bartúnkova, seeded 26th, will now move on to face Austria's 24‑year‑old Sinja Kraus, who earlier in the day dispatched Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-4.
In another part of the draw, fifth‑seed Mirra Andreeva advanced comfortably to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Polina Kudermetova, showcasing a powerful serve that yielded six aces and a conversion rate of five out of seven break‑point chances. Andreeva wrapped up the match in just 68 minutes, underlining her aggressive style and readiness to challenge the remaining seeds.
The men’s side of the tournament also saw notable developments. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the semi‑finals of the Japan Open after his opponent, Canada's Denis Shapovalov, was forced to retire because of a hip injury.
Alcaraz, who has been making a strong comeback after a four‑month lay‑off due to a wrist injury, was leading 7-6 (7-4), 2-1 when Shapovalov withdrew. Despite dropping his serve three times in the opening set, Alcaraz expressed satisfaction with his resilience: "It was a little bit frustrating with my serve, but I'm happy with the way I came back after every break. It was a great first set with great points and great rallies." He also conveyed disappointment about the circumstances of his advancement, noting, "It's a shame that he had to pull out.
Going through to a semi‑final like this is not the way I wanted, but sometimes sports are tough. You have to accept it.
Hopefully he'll be able to play in Shanghai healthy." Alcaraz's next opponent will be fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar, who earned his semi‑final berth by defeating France's Kyrian Jacquet 6-4, 6-2. The upcoming matches promise to be highly competitive as the field adjusts to the early exits of the top women’s seeds. The China Open continues to attract a global audience, with live streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports App. Fans can also follow the parallel ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters, ensuring comprehensive coverage of both the women's and men's elite tennis circuits during this busy period of the season.
The unexpected early exits of Sabalenka and Rybakina have opened the door for lower‑ranked players to make deep runs, adding an element of unpredictability that could reshape the narrative of the tournament as it moves toward its later stages.