World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shocking early exit at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025, falling in her opening match to World No. 26 Ekaterina Alexandrova in a hard-fought three-set battle. The second-round encounter ended with a 3-6 6-3 7-6(5) victory for the Russian, who staged an incredible comeback to defeat the tournament favorite.
A Strong Start Turns To Frustration
Sabalenka, playing in her first match since finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open, looked dominant early. She took the first set 6-3, showing her usual aggressive baseline play and powerful serving. However, as the match progressed, her level dropped, and the Russian capitalized on the opportunity.
The turning point came in the second set when Alexandrova managed to break Sabalenka’s serve twice, taking the set 6-3 and forcing a decider. The match saw a quirky interruption in the second set as a cat briefly ran onto the court, momentarily halting play. While this incident added a lighthearted moment to the contest, it did little to distract the Russian tennis star, who remained locked in on her goal.
A Thrilling Decider And A Stunning Upset
The third set proved to be an intense showdown. Sabalenka secured an early break and seemed poised to recover, but Alexandrova fought back each time. Down 2-4, the Russian displayed impressive composure, breaking the Belarusian tennis star again and pushing the match into a decisive tiebreak.
In the tiebreaker, Alexandrova raced to a 6-3 lead. Sabalenka saved two match points but could not avoid the inevitable, with the 30-year-old converting her third match point to clinch the upset after two hours and 36 minutes of play.
Sabalenka’s usually formidable serve failed her on this occasion. She landed just 58% of her first serves and struggled even more on the second serve, winning only 53% of those points. Additionally, she converted just 4 out of 8 breakpoint opportunities. In contrast, Alexandrova’s serving stats were slightly better—she landed 63% of her first serves and won 64% of those points. While she converted only 4 out of 15 break points, she delivered in the most crucial moments, particularly in the tiebreak.
For Alexandrova, this victory was a significant milestone. It marked her second career win over a reigning World No. 1 and evened her head-to-head record against Sabalenka at 4-4. The triumph also set up a third-round clash with Elise Mertens, adding momentum to her strong start to the season.
This loss is Sabalenka’s earliest exit at a WTA 1000 event in nearly a year, her worst result since falling in the second round of the Miami Open in 2024. The Belarusian admitted she had struggled to overcome her Australian Open final defeat to Madison Keys. Now, the sour taste of the final could be felt even more with this defeat.
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