Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled off one of the biggest results of the Canadian Open in Toronto, upsetting world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals.
The match lasted almost two and a half hours and ended with the number 16 seed finding enough composure in the deciding set to close out the top-ranked player in the draw. For Sabalenka, the loss comes weeks before she begins her US Open title defence, and it continues a mixed run in the biggest events of the season.
Sabalenka's 2025 major results have been uneven
Sabalenka won the Miami Open in March, but her other major tournaments have not gone as well. At the French Open, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals, and at Wimbledon she exited in the last 16. The Toronto defeat adds another setback, this time against a lower seed who handled the pressure moments better late in the match.
Alexandrova said she tried to treat every point as if it were the last one, explaining that opportunities do not come often against Sabalenka. She also said she was super happy to win because, after the second set, she thought the chance had already slipped away.
What happens next for Alexandrova
Alexandrova will now face Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals. That sets up another difficult test, but the win over Sabalenka gives her clear momentum and a major confidence boost heading deeper into the tournament.
For Sabalenka, the result is a reminder that even as the world number one, the margins can be thin at the top level. For Alexandrova, it is a statement win that puts her one step away from the final four in Toronto.
