Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed at the Wuhan Open, suffers another early exit as Ann Li defeats her 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the second round. Multiple outlets describe the loss as a continuation of Sabalenka’s recent struggles, with the Belarusian losing after conceding a lead during the match.
The defeat follows Sabalenka’s previous setback at the China Open, where she loses to Nikola Bartunkova in the third round, and it marks back-to-back early defeats for the former world No. 2. The Independent notes that it is the first time since February 2025 that she loses consecutive matches, highlighting how unusual the run has been. Additional context across reports says Sabalenka has not won a title since March and that she lost her number one ranking to Elena Rybakina last month.
