Elena Rybakina experienced a breathtaking upset in her first appearance since ascending to the top of the women's rankings, falling to the 118th‑ranked Alina Charaeva at the China Open on Saturday afternoon. Rybakina had claimed the world No.1 spot after clinching her second Grand Slam title of 2026 at the US Open, yet the match ended in a 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 loss that sent her back to reality in a single set of play.
Charaeva, representing Armenia, entered the tournament without ever having faced a player inside the top 20. The encounter proved to be a career‑defining moment for the 19‑year‑old, who managed to dismantle the top seed and earn a place in the round of 32, where she will meet Britain's rising star Sonay Kartal. After the victory, Charaeva was visibly emotional, saying, "I don't have words.
This is incredible. Of course Elena is an amazing player who is doing really well 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 in my favour.
Never stop believing, I guess!" The shock result was just one of many storylines unfolding across the Asian swing of the tour. In Tokyo, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz survived a tense first‑set tiebreak to secure a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory over Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, booking his place in the Japan Open quarter‑finals. Alcaraz, currently world No.3, saved four set points after falling 2-5 in the tiebreak, eventually turning the momentum and taking the set. He then found a higher gear in the second set, breaking Arnaldi twice to close out the match.
"I just tried to stay there, point after point," Alcaraz reflected. "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." Also 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 showdown with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, who had eliminated Italy's Matteo Berrettini earlier in the day. Meanwhile, at the China Open, German Alexander Zverev, the reigning US Open champion, advanced with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win over wildcard Juncheng Shang, setting up a high‑profile quarter‑final clash with Novak Djokovic. Australian Alex de Minaur, who had suffered a second‑round exit at the US Open, rebounded by beating France's Quentin Halys in three sets, securing a quarter‑final meeting with Russia's Andrey Rublev.
Both players are not only chasing a spot in the semi‑finals but also vital Race to Turin points that will determine the final entries for this year's ATP Finals. Rublev, having survived a second‑set comeback from Roman Safiullin to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, booked his own quarter‑final berth. On the women's side, after a three‑week hiatus following her US Open semi‑final loss to Rybakina, American Coco Gauff returned to action at the China Open, edging past world No.66 Camila Osorio 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2. Gauff survived a first‑set tiebreak, dropped the second set after being broken at 4-5, and then held her nerve in the decider, despite Osorio saving two match points late in the contest.
Gauff's win sets up a match against China's Xinran Sun in the next round. Britain's Harriet Dart began strongly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the opening set, but could not maintain the momentum, eventually succumbing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In another notable performance, former world No.1 Iga Swiatek, who had been eliminated in the US Open round of 16, returned to form with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over China's Xinyu Gao, converting five break points and displaying the aggressive baseline play that has defined her season. Elina Svitolina also demonstrated resilience, coming back from a first‑set deficit to defeat Czech Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, ensuring her progression to the following round. The day's action highlighted the depth and unpredictability of both the ATP and WTA tours, with rising talents like Charaeva and Kartal challenging established stars, and seasoned veterans such as Zverev, Alcaraz, and Swiatek reaffirming their elite status.
Fans can continue to follow the drama via live streams on platforms that do not require a contract, including the NOW service and the Sky Sports app, where the ATP Japan Open, WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters are all available for viewing. The tournaments promise more upsets, breakthrough performances, and high‑stakes battles as players vie for ranking points, prize money, and coveted spots in the season‑ending championships.