Sabalenka Suffers Shock Wuhan Open Exit as Swiatek Advances

Posted : 15 October 2026

Aryna Sabalenka endured another disappointing outing on the WTA Tour after American Ann Li defeated the top seed 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in the second round of the Wuhan Open on Wednesday. The result ended Sabalenka's hopes of securing a fourth title at the tournament and marked her second consecutive early exit at a major event in China.

The Belarusian appeared to be in a strong position after taking the opening set and establishing a 4-2 advantage in the second. However, Li mounted an impressive comeback, raising her level to claim the second set before pushing the match into a tense deciding tiebreak.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was also dealing with protective strapping around her right knee. After falling behind early in the final set, she requested medical assistance and appeared to have difficulty moving comfortably around the court.

Despite those concerns, the former world number one demonstrated considerable determination, recovering from a 2-5 deficit and saving nine match points to keep her hopes alive. Li eventually held her nerve, converting her 10th match point to complete the victory after two hours and 27 minutes.

The American's reward is a last-16 meeting with Indonesia's Janice Tjen. For Sabalenka, the defeat follows her third-round loss to Nikola Bartunkova at the China Open and extends a frustrating run of results. She has not won a title since March and surrendered the world number one ranking to Elena Rybakina last month.

Pegula Eliminated as Ostapenko Completes Comeback

Jessica Pegula also suffered a surprise defeat in Wuhan, losing 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 to Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko. The American second seed had been in a promising position after winning the opening set but failed to capitalise on three match points before Ostapenko turned the contest around.

The victory ended Pegula's impressive run of winning her opening match at 22 consecutive WTA 1000 tournaments. Ostapenko's resilience proved decisive as she recovered from the early setback to claim a place in the last 16.

Swiatek Begins Wuhan Campaign With Convincing Win

While the top two seeds were eliminated, Iga Swiatek made a strong start to her campaign by defeating fellow Polish player Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-1. The seventh seed needed one hour and 42 minutes to secure her 40th victory of the season and advance to the round of 16.

Swiatek faced resistance early in the opening set, recovering from a 0-2 deficit and saving several break points before establishing control. She then raised her level in the second set, using consistent groundstrokes and an aggressive forehand to complete a comfortable victory.

The six-time Grand Slam champion will next face American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger. With Sabalenka out of the tournament, Swiatek no longer faces the Belarusian as a potential quarter-final opponent, opening up a different path through her section of the draw.

Muchova Survives Thriller as Kartal Stuns Bencic

Karolina Muchova also advanced after surviving a demanding three-set encounter against American qualifier Caty McNally. The Wimbledon finalist recovered from losing the opening set to win 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4) after a contest lasting three hours.

Muchova's composure in the tiebreaks proved crucial, extending her unbeaten record in deciding tiebreaks for the season to 10 matches. She will face Diana Shnaider in the next round.

Meanwhile, Britain's Sonay Kartal produced one of the day's biggest surprises by defeating ninth seed Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5. Kartal, who missed six months of the season because of a spinal stress fracture, delivered a commanding opening set before holding off Bencic's efforts to force a decider.

The victory earned Kartal a last-16 meeting with Italian 15th seed Jasmine Paolini, offering the British player an opportunity to continue her impressive return to competition.

The Wuhan Open has therefore produced a series of unexpected results, with Sabalenka and Pegula both departing earlier than anticipated. Swiatek, Muchova and Kartal remain among the players progressing through the draw as the tournament moves towards its decisive stages.

Sabalenka Suffers Shock Wuhan Open Exit as Swiatek Advances

Swiatek Begins Wuhan Campaign With Convincing Win

Muchova Survives Thriller as Kartal Stuns Bencic

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