Aryna Sabalenka Stunned at Canadian Open as Alexandrova Ends US Open Build-Up

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka's US Open preparations suffered a setback as Ekaterina Alexandrova stunned the four-time Grand Slam champion in a three-set fourth-round battle at the Canadian Open in Toronto.

The 16th-seeded Alexandrova prevailed 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours, holding her nerve in a tense deciding set to book her place in the quarterfinals.

Alexandrova holds firm in deciding set

Sabalenka made the stronger start, breaking early in the opening set, but Alexandrova fought back to force a tiebreak. The Russian then dominated the shootout to take the first set.

The reigning US Open champion responded in the second, breaking for a 4-3 lead before serving out the set to force a decider.

But Alexandrova continued to attack aggressively in the final set, while Sabalenka's error count began to rise. The world No.1 fought hard to stay alive at 4-5, saving two match points, but a double fault on the third handed Alexandrova a stunning victory.

"I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don't get a lot of chances during the match," Alexandrova said after the win.

Svitolina awaits in the quarterfinals

Alexandrova will next face Ukraine's Elina Svitolina for a place in the semifinals.

Svitolina also produced a convincing performance in the fourth round, defeating eighth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 6-4.

For Sabalenka, the defeat comes just two weeks before the US Open begins on August 23, where she will arrive as the defending champion and one of the leading contenders for the title.