Sabalenka loses to Alexandrova in Canadian Open quarterfinals

World number one Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out of the Canadian Open in Toronto on Saturday after a three-set defeat by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion and a four-time Grand Slam winner, started as heavy favorite but was undone by Alexandrova’s aggressive play in a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 quarterfinal upset. The match lasted nearly two and a half hours, with Sabalenka breaking early in the first set before Alexandrova fought back to take the opening tiebreak. Sabalenka recovered to level the match, breaking in the second set and holding serve to force a decider, but error counts rose in the final set and her double fault on match point sealed Alexandrova’s victory.

“I tried to play every point like it was the last one because with her, you don’t get a lot of chances,” Alexandrova said after the win. “I just focused on hitting the ball and didn’t think about the score. After the second set I thought the chance was already gone.” Alexandrova will next face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who defeated eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.

The result is a blow to Sabalenka’s momentum ahead of next month’s US Open, where she will defend her title. Alexandrova’s win moves her closer to a potential clash with top seed Iga Świątek later this week, while Svitolina continues her strong return to the tour. For Sabalenka, the loss marks the second time in three months she has been beaten by a lower-ranked opponent, raising questions about her consistency ahead of the year’s final major.