Aryna Sabalenka slams racquet to the floor during shock straight-sets China Open loss

The number two ranked women's tennis star suffered from a shock straight-sets defeat at the China Open

By Matty Hewitt · Daily Express

Published: Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 8:30 PM

Key Things to Know

Aryna Sabalenka lost 6-4, 6-3 to Nikola Bartunkova at the China Open, slamming her racquet in frustration.
The result eliminated the tournament's top two seeds following Elena Rybakina's exit the day before.
Bartunkova called the upset the biggest win of her career and reached a career-high ranking of 34.

The Story in 60 Seconds

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock straight-sets defeat at the China Open in Beijing on Sunday, losing 6-4, 6-3 to 20-year-old Czech player Nikola Bartunkova. A visibly frustrated Sabalenka bounced her racquet across the court twice during the second set as she struggled with the court's lighting and shifting shadows.

The loss follows the early exit of world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, leaving the WTA 1000 event without its top two seeds. Bartunkova described the victory as the biggest win of her career and will next face Sinja Kraus, while Sabalenka aims to end her title drought at the upcoming Wuhan Open.

Read the full article on Daily Express

Aryna Sabalenka slams racquet to the floor during shock straight-sets China Open loss

More Tennis News

Never Miss a Sports Update