Top seed Aryna Sabalenka suffered a stunning 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat to unseeded American Ann Li on Wednesday at the Wuhan Open. Sabalenka struggled with 44 unforced errors during the round of 32 match. Li stayed composed under pressure, eventually converting her 10th match point to seal a memorable career upset.
Aryna Sabalenka's difficult run of form continued on Wednesday as the Belarusian top seed suffered a stunning 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) defeat to unseeded American Ann Li in the round of 32 at the Wuhan Open.
The four-time Grand Slam champion looked poised to progress after winning the opening set but struggled to contain Li's fightback. Ranked 31st in the world, the American recovered from 4-2 down in the second set to force a decider before producing a composed performance under pressure to secure the biggest win of her career.
Sabalenka's hopes appeared all but over when she fell 4-1 behind in the final set and took a medical timeout. However, the Belarusian mounted a spirited comeback, saving five match points and holding serve to stay alive at 5-3. Li refused to buckle, eventually converting her 10th match point to seal a memorable upset after two hours and 27 minutes.
Sabalenka's error-prone display proved costly, with the Belarusian committing 44 unforced errors compared with Li's 28.
SABALENKA STRUGGLES AFTER WUHAN OPEN
The defeat extended a frustrating spell for Sabalenka, who has not won a title since completing the Sunshine Double with triumphs at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this year. The 28-year-old reached the US Open final last month but lost to Elena Rybakina, leaving her without a Grand Slam title in 2026.
She also suffered a third-round exit at the China Open earlier this month and lost the world No. 1 ranking to Rybakina following the US Open.
The Wuhan exit was particularly disappointing given Sabalenka's impressive record at the tournament. She won the title in 2018, 2019 and 2024, making her early elimination a significant setback in her bid to regain momentum before the season ends.
Li will next face Indonesia's Janice Tjen in the round of 16 after the latter defeated Ukraine's Daria Snigur 7-5, 6-3. The American will head into the clash with renewed confidence after ending Sabalenka's hopes of winning a fourth Wuhan title.
Li's victory underlined the unpredictability of the Wuhan Open, with second seed Jessica Pegula also suffering an early exit on Wednesday. The American lost 2-6, 7-6(7), 3-6 to Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, who recovered from a set down to advance.