Freshly crowned world number one Elena Rybakina suffered a stunning opening-match exit at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, falling 6:3, 4:6, 3:6 to Alina Charaeva on October 3, 2026. The defeat was compounded by recurring pain in Rybakina’s left foot, an issue that first flared up during her match against Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati.
Charaeva Writes History as Lowest-Ranked Comeback Winner
Alina Charaeva entered the Beijing main draw ranked 118th in the world, making her the lowest-ranked player since the introduction of the WTA rankings in 1975 to achieve a comeback victory against a reigning world number one. The 24-year-old, who competes for Armenia and was born in Russia, overcame a first-set deficit to close out the two-hour and eleven-minute contest 3:6, 6:4, 6:3. The victory surpassed the previous record held by Alison Riske, who was ranked 55th when she defeated Ashleigh Barty at Wimbledon in 2019. It feels like a dream come true,
Charaeva told reporters after the match. I just tried to stay mentally strong and keep believing that I could turn the match around at some point.
Foot Pain and Fatigue Derail Rybakina’s Beijing Campaign
Rybakina pointed to a demanding schedule and physical ailments as the primary drivers behind her early exit at the China Open. The 27-year-old Kazakh player admitted that her preparations were severely compromised following her recent victory at the US Open. Today was definitely a very hard day on the court,
Rybakina said. Since the win at the US Open a lot has happened, and I didn’t really have much time to sleep properly and recover.
Beyond the fatigue, Rybakina confirmed that her left foot began troubling her again as the match progressed against Charaeva. Toward the end of the match, my foot started to hurt a bit,
she stated. So I’m going to take some time to recover and see what the schedule looks like for the next few weeks.
Sabalenka Also Exits Early in Beijing
Aryna Sabalenka failed to capitalize on Rybakina’s stumble, suffering a surprise exit of her own in the third round of the Beijing tournament. The second-seeded Belarusian fell 4:6, 3:6 to 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova of the Czech Republic in one hour and thirty-five minutes. Sabalenka had the opportunity to close the gap in the rankings race after Rybakina assumed the top spot via her US Open triumph, but she struggled to convert opportunities, missing five break points in the sixth game of the opening set. I focused on myself, on staying calm,
Bartunkova said after defeating the four-time Grand-Slam champion. She is a legend…, so I’m really happy that I won the match.
Rybakina Rests Foot Before Wuhan Tournament
Following her unexpected elimination at the hands of Charaeva, Rybakina outlined an immediate one-week rest period to address her physical condition. The world number one intends to use the downtime to heal her left foot completely before returning to competition. Her next scheduled tournament appearance is the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, China, where tournament entry lists position her as the top seed. With the 2026 tennis season entering its final stretch, Rybakina’s participation in Wuhan will depend entirely on the recovery rate of her foot over the coming days.
