Aryna Sabalenka's US Open Title Defense in Jeopardy After Third Straight Early Exit

Aryna Sabalenka is heading into her US Open title defense on the worst run she's had in recent memory. After claiming victory in New York the last two years, things are looking different this season, and the questions are starting to pile up for the world’s top-ranked player.

Sabalenka's Third Straight Early Exit

The world No. 1 was knocked out of the Cincinnati Open in the round of 16 on Wednesday, falling to 20-year-old Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek 7-6(7), 6-4 after blowing a 5-1 lead in the first-set tiebreak and a 4-1 lead in the second. This was a surprising upset to say the least, with Bejlek having never beaten a top-10 player or reached the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event entering the match.

This loss extended an alarming pattern for Sabalenka, who has now exited three straight tournaments before the quarterfinal stage, following a fourth-round defeat to Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon and a fourth-round loss to Ekaterina Alexandrova in Toronto. Many fans are beginning to wonder whether Sabalenka’s dominance over the world rankings is coming to an end, or if she’ll be able to turn things around in time for the looming US Open.

A Highly Scrutinized Season

Sabalenka entered 2026 as the presumptive best player in the world, and by most standards, this year hasn't quite measured up. This is a jarring stretch for players looking to turn things around, especially one who hasn't lost a Grand Slam final on U.S. soil and who arrives in New York as the two-time defending champion.

Sabalenka hasn't won a title since Miami in the spring. Her season has included an Australian Open final loss to Elena Rybakina, an underwhelming Wimbledon fourth-round exit, and now a rocky hard-court swing, leaving her performance under a microscope just days before the year's final major begins.

Sabalenka Addresses the Pressure

Sabalenka isn't shying away from the scrutiny, either. Speaking to reporters last week as she prepared for Cincinnati, she brushed off the idea that the pressure of defending a title or ranking was weighing on her. “You can look at this like you’re defending something, but to be honest, you always have the target on your back,” Sabalenka said.

She continued, saying, “I love having the target on my back. I like to see the younger generation looking up to me and getting inspired by me.”

However, that target has clearly been easier to hit lately. Lower-ranked opponents have found openings against Sabalenka's game that weren't there a year ago, with three separate matches in the past month slipping away from her. Whether this is just a blip or the start of something more serious is the biggest question hanging over her heading into New York.

What's Next in New York

For Sabalenka, the fix may be more mental than technical. She's remained the most dominant hard-court player in the world for two full seasons, and Flushing Meadows is the one place she's never lost a final. However, a fourth straight early exit, this time on the biggest stage of the year, could turn a shaky season into a legitimate shift atop the WTA rankings.

The US Open main draw begins August 30 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.

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