Sabalenka, Rybakina handed shock defeats at China Open tennis

What the report says

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina were knocked out of the China Open in Beijing in a double blow for the women’s draw, according to Al Jazeera’s report from October 4, 2026. Sabalenka, the second seed and former world number one, lost in straight sets to Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in the third round, while Rybakina, the top seed, fell in her second-round match against Russia’s Alina Charaeva. The defeats meant the tournament was left without its top two women’s seeds earlier than expected.

Al Jazeera reported that Bartunkova, ranked 34th, won 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and 35 minutes. The 20-year-old Czech player said she stayed focused and calm, and described the victory as especially meaningful because Sabalenka is a multiple Grand Slam champion. Bartunkova will next meet Austria’s Sinja Kraus in the round of 16.

The article said Sabalenka struggled to convert break chances early in the match and became visibly frustrated as the contest slipped away. Rybakina’s exit had already cleared the way for an unexpected shake-up in the women’s field. More broadly, the result underscores how quickly seeded players can be upset at major tour events, especially in a stretch of the season that also includes high-profile tournaments in Asia.