World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka was stunned by Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek at the Cincinnati Open, while French Open champion Alexander Zverev was ousted by American Tommy Paul. These unexpected fourth-round defeats send shockwaves through the tennis world just ahead of the US Open.

  • World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka was upset by Sara Bejlek.
  • French Open champion Alexander Zverev was defeated by American Tommy Paul.
  • The Cincinnati Open saw multiple top seeds and Grand Slam champions exit, impacting US Open preparations.
  • Rain delays significantly affected play, adding an extra layer of challenge for the athletes.

The Cincinnati Open witnessed a series of major upsets during a rainy fourth-round day of action on Wednesday and Thursday, as top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev crashed out of the tournament. These unexpected defeats raise significant questions about the readiness and confidence of top players heading into the looming US Open.

The biggest shock on the women’s side came when world number one and four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka was stunned by Czech Sara Bejlek, ranked 35th, in a gritty 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 match that concluded shortly after midnight. Former champion Sabalenka had led by a break in the opening set and was up 5-1 in the tiebreaker, but Bejlek roared back to claim the set in 65 minutes. In the second set, Bejlek broke the Belarusian three times, rallying from 4-1 down and securing the win with a love game capped by an ace.

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“I lost my words – it feels incredible,” Bejlek said after her first win over a top 10 player. “I was playing what I was feeling and not really thinking. I was trying not to be nervous and just play. I believed in myself no matter what.” Bejlek, who won the Abu Dhabi hard court title in February as a qualifier, has now booked a quarterfinal clash with American Madison Keys. This marks yet another setback for Sabalenka, with the US Open commencing on August 30. She was ousted in the fourth round of the Toronto Masters last week, having also lost in the same round at Wimbledon and in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

On the men’s side, American Tommy Paul saved a match point en route to a 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 upset victory over Germany’s French Open champion Alexander Zverev. Zverev’s match was interrupted by rain for 90 minutes in the seventh game of the second set and experienced two more five-minute pauses as drops were dried from the court. The French Open champion had a chance to close out the match at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker but netted a volley. The German again gained an edge in the deciding set with a break for 4-2, but Paul broke back in the next game and again for a 5-4 lead, marking his third win over Zverev in their last four meetings.

“I’m not sure how I did it,” Paul commented. “I put some returns in, he gave me some looks at second serves and he threw in a few doubles (faults). That always helps a tonne. I went after the ball a bit more, I was having fun out there.” Second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada was another casualty, falling 6-3, 6-4 to American Frances Tiafoe. Paul will now face Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli, who toiled for two and a half hours to engineer a turnaround against red-hot Spaniard Rafael Jodar 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. American sixth seed Taylor Fritz dispatched Australian Chris O’Connell 6-4, 6-3. Thiago Tirante, who upset Novak Djokovic in the second round, continued his surprise run, reaching his first Masters quarterfinal with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jakub Mensik. Australian Alex de Minaur was no match for Frenchman Arthur Fils, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the fifth seed.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows these upsets at a crucial Masters 1000 event like Cincinnati can significantly shift momentum and confidence levels for players heading into the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open. For rising stars like Bejlek and Paul, these victories represent career-defining moments and a major boost to their rankings and profiles, while forcing established veterans to re-evaluate their strategies.

These early exits for top seeds underscore the increasing depth of talent in professional tennis, where no match can be taken for granted, especially on fast hard courts.

In the women's draw, 2023 champion Coco Gauff saved all eight break points she faced in a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win over Czech Marie Bouzkova. The fourth seed double-faulted on her first match point but leapt up to smash an overhead winner on her second opportunity. “I played well the whole match, going for my shots, coming forward and not letting her counter-punch,” Gauff said. “I’m happy with how I played.”

Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek needed four match points to get past Diane Parry of France 6-3, 6-3. The seventh-seeded Pole now faces a rerun of last week’s Toronto final against Elena Rybakina, who beat Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4. Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek captured her first title of 2026 with her victory over reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina in Toronto.

Two other current Grand Slam champions also bowed out. Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk rallied from a set down to beat French Open winner Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova fell to Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-4 in another weather-disrupted match.

Did You Know?: The Cincinnati Open, also known as the Western & Southern Open, is the oldest professional tennis tournament in the United States still played in its original city.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who defeated Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open?
  • What is the significance of the Cincinnati Open in the lead-up to the US Open?