Overview
- Ekaterina Alexandrova beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in Toronto on Saturday to end Sabalenka’s run at the National Bank Open.
- Alexandrova’s breakthrough run ended in the quarterfinals when Elina Svitolina recovered to beat her 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
- Sabalenka keeps the WTA No. 1 ranking despite the loss, and Elena Rybakina plus Coco Gauff advanced deep in Toronto to narrow the points margin at the top.
- Alexandra Eala’s seven-match hot streak, which began with her first WTA title in Washington, ended when Belinda Bencic beat her 6-4, 6-0 and Eala said she will take a short rest before traveling to Cincinnati while coaches have flagged her serve biomechanics as an area for improvement.
- The results sharpen the late‑summer storyline: Sabalenka’s six losses in 10 three-set matches this year raise a specific concern about closing long matches and make Cincinnati and the US Open pivotal for year‑end rankings.