Aryna Sabalenka and Zverev Stunned in Cincinnati Fourth-Round Shocks
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| Bejlek shocks Sabalenka |
Cincinnati Day 7: Bejlek upsets World No.1 Sabalenka as top seeds crash out in Cincinnati, Paul beats Zverev.
Paul ousts Zverev, Bejlek stuns Sabalenka in rain-hit Cincinnati...
Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev were both knocked out of the Cincinnati Masters within hours of each other during a rain-hit Wednesday in the fourth round.
Home favorite Tommy Paul pulled off a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Germany’s Zverev, coming back from match point down to complete the upset.
The biggest surprise came in the women’s draw, where world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was beaten by Czech 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 7-6(7), 6-4. The tough contest wrapped up just after midnight into Thursday morning.
Sabalenka, a former Cincinnati champion, had a break lead in the first set and was 5-1 up in the tiebreak. But Bejlek fought back and took the set in 65 minutes.
Bejlek broke the Belarusian three times in the second set. After falling 4-1 behind, she rallied and closed out the match with a love hold finished by an ace.
“I lost my words - it feels incredible,” Bejlek said after earning her first career win over a top-10 opponent.
“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 claimed the Abu Dhabi hard-court title as a qualifier back in February. Now she’s into the Cincinnati quarter-finals, where she’ll face American Madison Keys.
It’s another early exit for Sabalenka with the US Open set to begin on August 30.
STATEMENT IN CINCINNATI! 🇨🇿 #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/ZC1GkFNnYG
— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 20, 2026
The four-time Grand Slam winner also went out in the fourth round in Toronto last week. She suffered the same fate at Wimbledon and lost in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Zverev’s match was held up by a 90-minute rain delay in the seventh game of the second set. There were also two shorter stoppages of about five minutes each while the court was dried.
The French Open champion had the opportunity to wrap up the second-set tiebreak at 6-5, but he pushed a volley into the net.
Zverev broke early in the decider to go up 4-2, but Paul hit back immediately. The American then broke again to lead 5-4 and went on to seal the win, his third in their last four meetings.
“I'm not sure how I did it,” Paul said. “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 ton.
“I went after the ball a bit more, I was having fun out there.”
Canadian second seed Félix Auger-Aliassime was also sent packing, losing 6-3, 6-4 to American Frances Tiafoe.
Next up for Paul is French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli. The Italian battled for two and a half hours to come back against in-form Spaniard Rafael Jodar, winning 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.
American No. 6 seed Taylor Fritz moved through with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Australia’s Chris O’Connell.
Thiago Tirante kept his surprise run going. After knocking out Novak Djokovic in round two, the Argentine reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final by beating Jakub Mensik 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur was outclassed by France’s Arthur Fils, who powered to a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Gauff Powers Into Next Round
2023 Cincinnati winner Coco Gauff fended off all eight break points she faced to beat Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-2.
The fourth seed missed her first match point with a double fault, then finished the job with an overhead winner on her next 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 champion Iga Swiatek also moved on, needing four match points to see off France’s Diane Parry 6-3, 6-3.
The No. 7 seed will now get a rematch of last week’s Toronto final against Elena Rybakina, who took out Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam winner, claimed her first title of 2026 in Toronto with a win over reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina.
Two more Grand Slam winners were eliminated on the day.
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk came back after dropping the first set to defeat French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova was also sent home, losing 6-1, 6-4 to Amanda Anisimova in a match that was hit by weather delays.
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