Aryna Sabalenka has suffered another unexpected setback at the WTA Masters in Toronto. The world No. 1 has been eliminated early. This could have consequences in the race for the No. 1 ranking.
Top favorite Aryna Sabalenka has surprisingly been eliminated in the round of 16 at the Masters tournament in Toronto. The world No. 1 lost to 16th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 4-6, suffering yet another disappointment.
This could allow Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina to close the gap on her in the race for the top spot; the world No. 2 is set to face Lyudmila Samsonova in the round of 16 on Sunday evening.
Rybakina Can Close the Gap on Sabalenka
After a disappointing first set, Sabalenka fought her way back into the match with an improved performance, but ultimately the Belarusian had to concede defeat after 2 hours and 29 minutes. On hard court, this marked only her second loss in 27 matches in 2026, following a somewhat bumpy run on clay and grass.
At the French Open, the 28-year-old was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and at Wimbledon, her run ended in the round of 16 against Naomi Osaka. This led her to experience an identity crisis, and she took some time off in Mykonos before the tournament in Toronto.
Alexandrova Takes Full Risks
Alexandrova will now face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, who defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4. “I tried to take as many risks as possible because I felt that was the only way to create opportunities for myself,” Alexandrowa said. “That led to a lot more errors, but at the same time, I also created a lot more chances for myself.”
In addition to Sabalenka, another co-favorite, Jessica Pegula, was also eliminated. The third-seeded American lost her round of 16 match to 15th-seeded Diana Schnaider 3-6, 3-6 in just 73 minutes. The Russian will now face Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
