Two top-ranked women have been knocked out of the China Open in the opening week, leaving the tournament without its two highest seeds. Elena Rybakina was beaten on Saturday, and Aryna Sabalenka followed suit on Sunday. Rybakina is the new world No 1. Sabalenka is the world No 2. Both exited in straight sets.
Sabalenka’s Defeat
Sabalenka lost to Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova, 6-4 6-3. The 20-year-old Bartunkova, ranked No 26, took down the four-time Grand Slam champion in the opening rounds of Beijing.
Sabalenka was denied a US Open three-peat by Rybakina last month. That defeat still stung, and she showed the strain in this match. She squandered five break points in the opening set as her struggles in Beijing continued.
The 28-year-old Belarusian has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at this tournament.
The Numbers Behind the Exit
- Match: Sabalenka 6-4 6-3 to Bartunkova
- Rankings: Rybakina is world No 1, Sabalenka is world No 2
- Location: Beijing, China
- Date: Sunday 4 October 2026
- Format: WTA 1000 event
- Sabalenka’s record here: Never past the quarter-finals
Sabalenka’s failure to convert those break points told the story of the match.
Rybakina’s Exit
Rybakina was beaten on Saturday. The new world No 1 went out before Sabalenka did, and the pair’s shared fate made the headlines.
The tournament now lacks its two top seeds in the opening week.
Bartunkova’s Next Match
Bartunkova moves on to face Austria’s Sinja Kraus. Kraus defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-1 6-4 earlier on Sunday.
Kraus is 24 years old. The Austrian will be hoping to push her way deeper into the tournament.
Other Results From Beijing
Mirra Andreeva eased into the fourth round with a 6-4 6-1 win over Polina Kudermetova. The French Open champion fired six aces and converted five of seven break-point opportunities to overwhelm her Uzbek opponent in just 68 minutes.
Andreeva is the fifth seed in the tournament. Her straight-set win suggests she remains one of the players to watch in Beijing.
Alcaraz’s Tokyo Advance
While Beijing lost its top seeds, Tokyo gained one. Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open after Denis Shapovalov was forced to retire with a hip injury.
The Spaniard is the defending champion. He was leading 7-6 (7-4) 2-1 when the Canadian called it a day.
Alcaraz dropped serve three times in the opening set. He said his serve was the problem.
“It was a little bit frustrating with my serve. I couldn’t find a good way of serving: I was struggling almost every game on serve,” Alcaraz said after the match.
But he found a way to respond.
“But I’m just happy with the way I came back after every break. It was a great first set: Great points, great rallies.”
The Disappointment of Progressing
Alcaraz was not pleased about how he reached the semi-finals.
“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’s going to be able to play in Shanghai healthy.”
He extended his strong return from a four-month wrist injury lay-off.
His semi-final opponent will be Jaume Munar. The qualifier defeated France’s Kyrian Jacquet 6-4 6-2 to book his place in the last four.
Key Facts Box
| Player | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Sabalenka | Out | 6-4 6-3 |
| Rybakina | Out | Beat on Saturday |
| Bartunkova | Through | 6-4 6-3 |
| Andreeva | Through | 6-4 6-1 |
The China Open continues in Beijing. The ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters runs alongside it in the same country. Fans can watch both events live on Sky Sports.
The Sky Sports app offers analysis, news and video for tennis fans who want to keep up with the action. Those without a Sky subscription can stream with no contract on NOW.
Our View
The two top seeds being knocked out in the opening week is unusual. It is also a reminder that rankings do not guarantee results.
Sabalenka was denied a US Open three-peat by Rybakina last month. She came close to winning that title, and now she has fallen in Beijing. The pattern of near-misses continues.
The tournament will need someone to step up and fill the gap left by the exits. Bartunkova has the chance to do that, and so does Andreeva.
For now, the focus shifts to the remaining players. They will have to perform without the safety net of the top two seeds.
Source material: “Sabalenka follows Rybakina out of China Open after shock defeat,” Sky Sports.
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