Aryna Sabalenka in horror form before US Open after shock defeat in Montreal

Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for the US Open have suffered another setback after the world No.1 was knocked out of the Canadian Open in the fourth round, leaving her without a final appearance since her Miami Open triumph earlier this year.

Sabalenka’s latest defeat came against 16th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who stunned the top seed 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in a gruelling two-hour, 29-minute contest in Toronto. The Belarusian fought back after losing the opening-set tiebreak but could not complete the comeback, with Alexandrova producing an aggressive display in the deciding set. Sabalenka even saved two match points at 4-5 before a double fault handed her opponent the win.

The defeat adds to concerns over Sabalenka’s form heading into the final Grand Slam of the season. She has not reached a singles final since March, when she defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to win in Miami. That victory completed a remarkable Sunshine Double for Sabalenka after she had also triumphed at Indian Wells.

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Sabalenka’s Canadian Open campaign began positively as she defeated Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 6-3 before overcoming China’s Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16. However, Alexandrova eventually ended her run in a match that exposed some of the uncertainty surrounding her game ahead of the US Open.

There is, however, one major positive for the two-time reigning US Open champion. Despite her early exit, Sabalenka will remain the WTA world No.1 heading into the US Open, even if Elena Rybakina goes on to win the Canadian Open.

Rybakina had entered the tournament with a chance to challenge Sabalenka for the top ranking, but Sabalenka’s progress to the fourth round was enough to secure her position at No.1. She also had no ranking points to defend from last year’s Canadian Open, while Rybakina was defending points from her 2025 semi-final run.

With the US Open approaching, Sabalenka will now have limited time to rediscover the form that made her one of the most dominant hard-court players on the WTA Tour. She is the defending champion, but her recent results have made her path to a third consecutive US Open crown look far less straightforward.

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