Arina Sabalenka fell victim to a major upset on Thursday morning (August 20), as the 28-year-old Belarusian was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open.
Just a few days before the start of the US Open, the world No. 1 lost 2-0 in sets (7-6, 6-4) by Sarah Bailey, with the 20-year-old Czech—ranked No. 35 in the world—celebrating the biggest win of her career.
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Beyond the disappointment of the elimination, Sabalenka now risks falling from the top of the WTA rankings, as if Elena Rybakina reaches the Cincinnati Open final, she will rise to No. 1.
Bejlek def. Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(7), 6-4 in Cincinnati
. WOW.
Advertisement20-year-old Sara gets the biggest win of her life.
This is her first top-10 win, and it’s against the world No. 1.
She came back from 1-4 in the second set.
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1st WTA 1000 quarterfinal
. She can now call herself a WTA 1000 player… pic.twitter.com/uwEFxIQKsw
Advertisement— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 20, 2026
*photo source: AP
