Sabalenka guarantees place in the round of 16 and maintains leadership in the WTA 1000 ranking in Toronto
Aryna Sabalenka achieved her initial goal at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, a crucial competition that precedes the Grand Slams and could redefine the landscape of women’s tennis. The tennis player, current number one in the world, obtained two essential victories to preserve her prominent position in the rankings. She recently defeated the experienced Chinese Shuai Zhang, 37 years old and ranked 62nd, with scores of 6/3 and 6/4, in a match that lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes.
After winning her debut match against Japanese Moyuka Uchijima in the previous round of the championship, Sabalenka secured her place in the round of 16. With this result, the Belarusian tennis player eliminated any chance of being surpassed by Elena Rybakina at the top of the rankings, even if the Kazakh athlete manages to win the title on Canadian soil.
For the next phase, Sabalenka will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, who currently occupies 19th place in the world rankings. Alexandrova secured her place by beating Australian Talia Gibson 5/7, 6/1 and 6/3. The history of clashes between the world number one and Alexandrova shows a small advantage for Sabalenka, with five wins and four defeats on the professional circuit. The last meeting between the two took place on the grass in Berlin, with Sabalenka winning.
The start of the 2026 season was marked by great success for Sabalenka, who won three major titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells and Miami, as well as reaching the final of the Australian Open. However, her performance on the subsequent clay and grass circuits did not result in new achievements, with the tennis player being eliminated in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the round of 16 at Wimbledon. To date, the Belarusian has accumulated 38 wins and six defeats throughout 2026.
This is Sabalenka’s seventh participation in Canada, at 28 years old. Their best performance in the tournament was in 2021, when they reached the semi-finals. The tennis player was absent from the previous edition of the championship, and her last appearance was in 2024, when she reached the quarterfinals.
In the match against Zhang, Sabalenka managed a service break in each set and demonstrated her strength by scoring five aces. Furthermore, the Belarusian player managed to avoid the only two break-points faced during the game. Utilizing her aggressive style and powerful shots, Sabalenka recorded 29 winners, in contrast to Zhang’s 8. On the other hand, the Chinese stood out for her precision, making just one unforced error, while the leader of the ranking had 14.
