Sabalenka, Rybakina handed shock defeats at China Open tennis

At the China Open in Beijing on October 4, 2026, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated in the third round by 34th-ranked Czech player Nikola Bartunkova, who won 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes, hitting four aces. This followed world number one Elena Rybakina's shock second-round exit to unseeded Charaeva, leaving the tournament without its top two seeds. The 20-year-old Bartunkova described Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, as 'a legend' after the victory.