Alexandrova stuns Sabalenka 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 to reach Toronto QFs
Synopsis
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been knocked out of the Canadian Open by 19th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova in a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 thriller — Alexandrova's third career win over a No. 1. With Pegula and Andreeva also gone, only Rybakina and Gauff remain from the Top 5, leaving the draw wide open.
Key Takeaways
Ekaterina Alexandrova (ranked 19 ) defeated world No.
1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 on 9 August in Toronto .
The win is Alexandrova's third career victory over a world No.
1 and her sixth WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
Jessica Pegula , a two-time champion, was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Diana Shnaider (No.
Elina Svitolina beat Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4 ; Iga Swiatek recovered from a first-set collapse to beat Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 .
2 Elena Rybakina and No.
4 Coco Gauff remain from the Top 5 seeds.
Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked 19th in the world, eliminated top seed Aryna Sabalenka from the Canadian Open on 9 August in a gruelling three-set contest, winning 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 over two hours and 29 minutes in Toronto. The result makes Sabalenka the latest Top 5 seed to exit the tournament.
How the Match Unfolded
The opening set was a serve-heavy affair, with both players breaking each other three times before Alexandrova claimed the tiebreak 7-3. Sabalenka steadied in the second, converting her only break of the set to level the match. The decider mirrored the first — a series of breaks traded at close quarters — before Alexandrova pushed Sabalenka to serve at 5-4 down. The world No. 1 saved two break and match points but could not fend off the third, surrendering both the set and the match.
Alexandrova's Record Against the Elite
The victory is Alexandrova's third win over a world No. 1, following her defeat of Iga Swiatek at Miami 2024 and an earlier win over Sabalenka at Doha 2025. It also marks her sixth WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearance and her first at that stage since Doha 2025, underscoring her ability to raise her game against the sport's biggest names on the biggest stages.
Other Saturday Results
Jessica Pegula, a two-time champion at the event, was the first major casualty of the day, falling to No. 15 Diana Shnaider in a commanding 6-3, 6-3 straight-sets defeat. Elina Svitolina navigated a Top 10 clash against Amanda Anisimova, closing out a 6-2, 6-4 win in 1 hour and 17 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals. Iga Swiatek survived a turbulent opening set — broken in all four service games by Marta Kostyuk — before rallying to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, dropping no further service games after the first set.
Draw Picture Heading into Quarterfinals
With Pegula, Sabalenka, and Mirra Andreeva all eliminated, only No. 2 Elena Rybakina and No. 4 Coco Gauff remain among the Top 5 seeds. The draw has opened up considerably, giving players like Alexandrova and Svitolina a credible path to the title. The quarterfinals are set to deliver further unpredictability at a tournament that has already seen its share of upsets.
Point of View
Where the Top 5 have crumbled with unusual regularity. Alexandrova's win is legitimate: she has now beaten world No. 1s on three separate occasions across different surfaces and tournaments, which is not the profile of a lucky upset artist. The real story is structural — with Pegula, Sabalenka, and Andreeva gone before the quarterfinals, the draw no longer has a clear favourite, and the title is genuinely up for grabs. That is either a sign of a deeper field or a sign that the top of women's tennis is more fragile under pressure than rankings suggest.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of Alexandrova vs Sabalenka at the Canadian Open 2025?
Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in Toronto on 9 August, with the match lasting 2 hours and 29 minutes. Sabalenka, the world No. 1, was eliminated in the third round.
How many times has Alexandrova beaten a world No. 1?
This was Alexandrova's third career win over a world No. 1. Her previous victories came against Iga Swiatek at Miami 2024 and Sabalenka herself at Doha 2025.
Who else was eliminated from the Canadian Open on Saturday?
Jessica Pegula, a two-time champion at the event, lost 6-3, 6-3 to Diana Shnaider. Mirra Andreeva was also eliminated, leaving only Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff among the Top 5 seeds.
Who advanced to the Canadian Open quarterfinals on Saturday?
Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elina Svitolina, and Iga Swiatek all advanced to the quarterfinals on Saturday. Svitolina beat Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4, while Swiatek recovered from a poor first set to beat Marta Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Which Top 5 seeds remain in the Canadian Open draw?
Only No. 2 Elena Rybakina and No. 4 Coco Gauff remain from the Top 5 seeds after Sabalenka, Pegula, and Andreeva were all eliminated before the quarterfinals.
