World number two Aryna Sabalenka suffered a surprise defeat at the China Open, losing to 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova. It follows top seed Elena Rybakina's exit to Armenian wildcard Alina Charaeva. Czech Bartunkova continued her breakthrough season with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Sabalenka. "I focused on myself, to be calm," said Bartunkova, who will face Austria's Sinja Kraus next. "She's a legend, so I'm really happy that I won the match." It marks the first time since 2015 that the top two seeds have failed to reach the round of 16 at the China Open.
Sabalenka has not won a title since completing the 'Sunshine Double' in March, triumphing at Indian Wells and the Miami Open. It has been a mixed year for Sabalenka by her high standards. She will finish without a Grand Slam trophy for the first time since 2022 and has often struggled to control her frustrations on court.
Against Bartunkova, she failed to convert any of her five break points and threw her racquet after falling a break down early in the second set.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing