Archive · 9 Aug 2026
World Number One Sabalenka Ousted in Toronto by Alexandrova
There is a famous tennis player named Aryna Sabalenka who is ranked number one in the whole world.
She was playing in a big tournament in Toronto, Canada, called the Canadian Open.
Her opponent was Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia, who was the sixteenth seed in the tournament.
The match was very close and lasted almost two and a half hours.
A tennis match is usually won by taking two out of three sets, and Alexandrova won the first and third sets.
Near the end, Sabalenka made some mistakes and hit a double fault, which is two bad serves in a row, so she lost.
Because of that, Sabalenka is out of the tournament.
She has won four big championships before and is trying to win the US Open again next month.
Alexandrova said she took big risks because that was the only way she could beat such a strong player.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated by Russia's 16th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open in Toronto on Saturday.
Alexandrova won 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 29 minutes to reach the quarter-finals.
Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, saved two match points before a double fault on the third handed victory to Alexandrova.
Sabalenka's loss was a setback in her US Open build-up, where she will seek her third consecutive title next month.
Alexandrova will next face Elina Svitolina, who beat Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4, though one report said her opponent would be either Anisimova or Svitolina.
- Who
- World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Russia's 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova
- What
- A fourth-round match of the Canadian Open in which Alexandrova eliminated Sabalenka 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals
- When
- Saturday, in the fourth round
- Where
- Toronto, at the Canadian Open (WTA Toronto Masters)
- Why
- Alexandrova took big risks and won the deciding set as Sabalenka's unforced errors rose, ending with a double fault on match point
- Event
- Canadian Open (WTA Toronto Masters)
- Round
- Fourth round
- Result
- Alexandrova def. Sabalenka 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4
- Match duration
- 2 hours 29 minutes
- Sabalenka ranking
- World number one
- Alexandrova seeding
- 16th seed
- Career WTA rivalry
- 5-5
- Alexandrova's next opponent
- Elina Svitolina (one report said either Svitolina or Anisimova)