World No. 1 Elena Rybakina suffered a shock early exit on Tuesday, falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to 118th-ranked Oksana Charaeva in a historic upset.
The victory marks the biggest win of the Russian-born Armenian’s career and her first over a top-20 opponent. Charaeva delivered a clinical performance, converting five of eight break points and winning 76 percent of her first-serve points to orchestrate the comeback.
CAREER DEFINING WIN 🤯
Alina Charaeva defeats the World No.1 Rybakina in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
#ChinaOpen https://t.co/VQKWMMPWNb
— wta (@WTA) October 3, 2026
With the defeat, Rybakina became just the second top-ranked woman in WTA history to drop her opening match after reaching No. 1. Charaeva also made history as the lowest-ranked player to rally from a set down to defeat a World No. 1 since computer rankings were introduced in 1975.
Rybakina, who struggled with seven double faults throughout the match, later pointed to physical strain following the U.S. Open and an ongoing foot injury as key factors in her performance.
