CINCINNATI: Bejlek beat Sabalenka 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 in the Cincinnati Open fourth round, giving the 20-year-old Czech her first win over a top-10 player.
Sara Bejlek, ranked No. 35, fought back from 5-1 down in the opening tiebreak. She won it 9-7 on her third set point. Aryna Sabalenka again took control in the second set and moved 4-1 ahead.
Bejlek responded by winning five straight games. She broke Sabalenka for a 5-4 lead and then served out the match at love.
An ace sealed the victory shortly after midnight on August 20. “I lost my words; it feels incredible,” Bejlek said after the match.
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The result sent Bejlek into her first WTA 1000 quarter-final. She will face American Madison Keys for a place in the semi-finals. Bejlek also won the Abu Dhabi hard-court title as a qualifier earlier in 2026.
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For world No. 1 Sabalenka, the defeat followed a fourth-round exit at the Toronto Masters. The US Open begins on August 30
