Cincinnati Open Shocker: Top Seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev Stunned in Fourth-Round Upsets

Aryna Sabalenka's US Open preparations suffered a major blow following a fourth-round upset against Sara Bejlek at the Cincinnati Open. Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev crashed out of the tournament in a matter of hours during a rainy fourth-round day of action.

American Tommy Paul saved a match point on his way to a 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory over Germany’s Alexander Zverev on Wednesday. However, the biggest shock occurred on the women’s side, where Czech player Sara Bejlek, ranked 35th, stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in a gritty encounter that concluded just after midnight into Thursday morning.

Former champion Aryna Sabalenka initially led by a break in the opening set and held a 5-1 advantage in the tiebreaker before Sara Bejlek mounted a fierce comeback to claim the set in 65 minutes. Sara Bejlek broke the Belarusian player three times in the second set, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to seal the victory with a love game capped by an ace.

“I lost my words – it feels incredible,” Sara Bejlek stated after securing her first career 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.” Sara Bejlek, who previously won the Abu Dhabi hard court title in February as a qualifier, advanced to set up a quarterfinal clash with American Madison Keys.

This defeat marks another concerning setback for Aryna Sabalenka with the US Open looming on August 30. The four-time Grand Slam champion was previously eliminated in the fourth round of the Toronto Masters last week, following similar fourth-round exits at Wimbledon and a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros.

Alexander Zverev’s match experienced a 90-minute rain interruption during the seventh game of the second set, alongside two additional five-minute pauses to clear moisture from the court. French Open champion Alexander Zverev held an opportunity to close out the match at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker but missed a volley into the net. The German competitor regained the advantage in the deciding set with a break for 4-2, but Tommy Paul immediately broke back and secured another break for a 5-4 lead, ultimately claiming his third victory over Alexander Zverev in their last four encounters.

“I’m not sure how I did it,” Tommy Paul remarked. “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 also exited the tournament, falling 6-3, 6-4 to American Frances Tiafoe. Tommy Paul's next opponent will be Roland Garros runner-ينار Flavio Cobolli, who battled for two and a half hours to overcome Spaniard Rafael Jodar with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. American sixth seed Taylor Fritz easily dispatched Australian Chris O’Connell 6-4, 6-3.

Thiago Tirante continued his surprising tournament run after previously upsetting Novak Djokovic in the second round, reaching his first Masters quarterfinal by defeating Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Meanwhile, Australian Alex de Minaur proved no match for Frenchman Arthur Fils, who cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the fifth seed.

In other women's action, 2023 champion Coco Gauff successfully saved all eight break points she faced to secure a 6-3, 6-2 win over Czech competitor Marie Bouzkova. The fourth seed double-faulted on her initial match point before leaping 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,” Coco Gauff noted.

Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek required four match points to overcome Diane Parry of France 6-3, 6-3. The seventh-seeded Polish player is now set for a rematch of last week’s Toronto final against Elena Rybakina, who defeated Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4. Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek earned her first title of 2026 by defeating reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in Toronto.

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