Sabalenka storms into third round in Beijing after US Open final defeat and loss of No.1 ranking
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka opened her China Open campaign in Beijing with a commanding win, starting the final stretch of a season that saw her lose the US Open final and the world No.1 ranking.
A commanding win in Beijing
Aryna Sabalenka, 28, began her campaign at the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win over Mexico's Renata Zarazua, according to Tennisuptodate.com. The world No.2 needed only about an hour on court, dropping just one game in the opening set. She next faces Czech player Nikola Bartunkova, the No.28 seed. The pair had met once before, in 2025 in Brisbane, a match Sabalenka won.
A difficult stretch and a fresh start
It has not been an easy year for Sabalenka. According to standardmedia.co.ke, she has not won a title since March and will end 2026 without a Grand Slam trophy for the first time since 2022. In September she lost the US Open final to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, a defeat that also cost her the world No.1 ranking she had held for 99 weeks. In Beijing she enters as the second seed, behind new world No.1 Rybakina.
Ahead of the tournament, Sabalenka told reporters she felt "fresh" after playing fewer matches recently. She said the US Open was the moment she began feeling healthier and stronger, both physically and mentally, rediscovering her enjoyment of tennis after a difficult mid-season stretch affected by various physical issues. Sabalenka withdrew from Beijing last year due to injury, and the China Open remains one of the WTA 1000 titles she has yet to win, having reached no further than the quarterfinals in four previous appearances there.
Other tournament news
At the pre-tournament media day, Sabalenka light-heartedly recalled preparing for a red-carpet fashion event, saying she had been very nervous beforehand and had asked her model friends for advice. She also said she was looking forward to playing in roughly three more tournaments to close out the season.
Defending champion Amanda Anisimova will not play in Beijing, having announced she is ending her season early because of a wrist injury. In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic, who has never lost a match in Beijing and has won six titles there, opened his campaign against Portugal's Nuno Borges.
