The Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, world number one, was eliminated in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati after losing 7-6 (9) and 6-4 against the young Czech Sara Bejlek.
Bejlek, number 35 in the WTA ranking and barely 20 years old, starred in one of the great surprises of the tournament by beating the leader of women’s tennis after almost two hours of play, which ended around midnight on Thursday.
Sabalenka had the first set practically on track. In the tiebreaker they dominated 5-1, but allowed the Czech to come back, who ended up winning 9-7 in the tie-break.
The world number one also had an advantage in the second set, when she was 4-1 up. However, Bejlek reacted again, getting two breaks of serve and closing the match with a shutout game.
“I was speechless, it’s an incredible feeling,” acknowledged the Czech after achieving the most important victory of her career.
The elimination increases doubts about the moment of Sabalenka, who also fell in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 in Toronto. Furthermore, her defeat in Cincinnati jeopardizes her lead in the world rankings, which could pass into the hands of Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina advanced to the quarterfinals in Cincinnati and will also seek revenge against the Polish Iga Swiatek, who defeated her last week in the final in Toronto.
The defeat also represents a new blow to Sabalenka’s aspirations to win the US Open for the third consecutive year, the last Grand Slam of the season, which will begin on August 30 in New York.
The Belarusian, who has accumulated four Grand Slam titles, has not yet managed to add any in 2026.
Bejlek, Abu Dhabi champion in February, had lost her three previous matches against top-10 players in the world. Now she will play the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 for the first time, where she will face the American Madison Keys.
