World number one Sabalenka upset by Alexandrova at Canadian Open

World number one Sabalenka upset by Alexandrova at Canadian OpenEkaterina Alexandrov took down four-time Grand Slam singles champion Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set marathon in Toronto.World number one ‌Aryna Sabalenka suffered a setback in her US Open ⁠build-up after ⁠she was beaten 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round of the Canadian Open ⁠in Toronto on Saturday.The 16th-seeded Alexandrova fought a hard battle, lasting nearly two and a half hours, to secure her quarterfinal berth.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Arsenal complete signing of Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraeslist 2 of 4Who are key players for chances of success this season?list 3 of 4Lionel Messi returns to Argentina after father Jorge’s deathlist 4 of 4FIFA President Gianni Infantino denies claims UEFA paid off alleged loverend of listSabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and reigning US Open winner, recovered from a set down to force a decider but was unable to halt Alexandrova’s aggressive shot-making in the final set.The Belarusian ‌broke early in the opening set before Alexandrova rallied to force a tiebreak, which the Russian won to move ahead.Sabalenka responded by seizing control of the second set with a break for a 4-3 lead before serving out to level the match.Alexandrova held her nerve in the decider as ⁠Sabalenka’s error count rose. Serving to stay ⁠in the match at 4-5, the top seed saved two match points, but a double fault on the third handed victory to the Russian.“I just tried to ⁠play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you ⁠don’t [get] a lot of chances during ⁠the match,” Alexandrova said in her on-court interview.“Honestly, I was trying not to think about the score or anything. Just hit the ball, and that’s it.“I’m super ‌happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought (the chance) was already past me.”Alexandrova will face Ukraine’s Elina ‌Svitolina, ‌who defeated American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 for a place in the semifinals.Aryna Sabalenka congratulates Ekaterina Alexandrova, right, on her fourth-round victory at the Canadian Open, August 8, 2026 [John E Sokolowski/Imagn Images via Reuters]