Aryna Sabalenka’s unexpected loss at the Wuhan Open might end up costing her even more than people thought at first.
Aryna Sabalenka’s ups and downs continued at the Wuhan Open, where her surprising early loss could really affect her WTA ranking. The world No. 2 was the top seed at the event since Elena Rybakina wasn’t playing. But Sabalenka lost a close match in the second round on Monday, falling 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) to Ann Li, who is ranked 31st.
Sabalenka held the No. 1 spot in women’s tennis for almost two years until she lost to Rybakina in the US Open final last September. Now, she faces a tough challenge if she wants to finish the year at the top of the rankings.
Even though Sabalenka is the only player defending a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 title in 2026 after Coco Gauff pulled out of the Wuhan Open, she hasn’t had as good a year as last time. She hasn’t won a major yet, only reaching the Australian Open and US Open finals, and winning smaller titles like Indian Wells, Miami, and Brisbane.
It’s been a bit worrying lately since she’s lost three of her last four matches, including a third-round exit at the China Open earlier this month. At the start of the Wuhan Open, she was second in the WTA rankings with 7,550 points—quite behind Rybakina but still well ahead of No. 3 Mirra Andreeva. Now, she’s 1,647 points behind Rybakina after losing 500 points from last year’s Wuhan Open results. She’s also second in the WTA Race to Indian Wells, with 6,560 points.
Rybakina looks likely to stay on top since she leads by 942 points after Sabalenka missed a big chance to catch up. Sabalenka hasn’t won a big title since Miami in March, and recently told Vogue she started the season strong but then things went a bit off. “I started the season really well… but then something went really off the hill. I’m getting back on track,” she said.
Sabalenka has been working hard to fix her struggles, and many think her mental game is a key issue. She’s known for showing her frustration on the court, where staying calm might actually help her the most. In August, her former coach Rick Macci, who also worked with Serena and Venus Williams, said she’s “competing against herself.” He explained that her confidence goes up and down, but she still has amazing power from the baseline.
Macci also said Sabalenka could still turn things around at the last Grand Slam of the year because she’s proven she can be mentally strong, calling her a “tiger, not a lamb.” Right now, though, Macci thinks she’s battling her own confidence, making it harder to win more matches.