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Rybakina's first match as world number one ends in China Open defeat by Charaeva

Global Published 4 October 2026, 10:43 · archived 4 Oct 2026

BEIJING: Three-times Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina crashed out of the China Open with a shock 3-6 ​6-4 6-3 defeat by unseeded Alina Charaeva in the ‌second round on Saturday, marking a disappointing start to her reign as world number one. The 27-year-old was playing for the first time since ​defeating four-times major winner Aryna Sabalenka to capture the US ​Open title last month. Rybakina had skipped Kazakhstan’s Billie ⁠Jean King Cup Finals campaign after what she described as ​a physically demanding month. Charaeva, a 24-year-old Russian-born Armenian ranked 118th in ​the world, etche...

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