Ekaterina Alexandrova stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the Canadian Open quarterfinals
Alexandrova held her nerve in the deciding set to complete one of the biggest wins of her season
The Russian has now beaten a world No. 1 three times, with all three victories coming at WTA 1000 events
Aryna Sabalenka’s Canadian Open campaign came to a surprise end on Saturday as the world No. 1 was beaten by 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in a gripping fourth-round contest. Alexandrova prevailed 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event in Toronto.
The opening set immediately suggested that neither player was going to give much away. Aryna Sabalenka and Alexandrova traded blows on serve before the set headed into a tiebreak. Alexandrova handled the pressure better, taking the breaker 7-3 to move within a set of one of the biggest wins of her season.
Sabalenka, however, responded like a player who has spent much of the year at the top of the rankings. The Belarusian tightened her game in the second set, found more consistency from the baseline and levelled the match at 6-4. That set ensured the contest would be decided by a third-set battle.
Alexandrova Holds Her Nerve In Decider
The deciding set became a test of nerve, and Alexandrova ultimately produced the cleaner tennis at the crucial moments. She stayed aggressive against Sabalenka’s powerful groundstrokes and secured the decisive advantage before closing out the match 6-4.
The victory is particularly significant given Alexandrova’s difficult 2026 campaign. The Russian had struggled for consistency for much of the season, but she produced what the WTA described as her best performance of the year to knock out the top seed.
It is also the third time Alexandrova has defeated a world No. 1, and remarkably, all three victories have come at WTA 1000 tournaments. Her previous wins over a top-ranked opponent came against Iga Swiatek in Miami in 2024 and Elena Rybakina in Doha in 2025.
For Sabalenka, the defeat represents an unwanted setback ahead of the US Open, where she will be looking to defend her Grand Slam title. She had entered Toronto as the top seed and had looked comfortable in her previous match, beating Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 in the third round.
Alexandrova now moves into the Toronto quarterfinals, while Sabalenka will leave Canada with plenty to assess before the final Grand Slam of the season.
