Sabalenka beats Zarazua in China Open opener and reflects on self-criticism

Aryna Sabalenka began her China Open campaign in Beijing on Friday, October 2, with a 6-1, 6-3 second-round win over Mexico’s Renata Zarazua. The world No. 2 did not face a break point and advanced to a third-round meeting with Nikola Bartunkova, while speaking openly about the pressure she places on herself.

Sabalenka struck 11 aces, according to BBC Sport and the Women’s Tennis Association’s match statistics. The WTA record shows she converted four of eight break-point opportunities and did not give Zarazua a chance to break her serve. The result took Sabalenka through her first match at the tournament after a first-round bye as one of the seeded players.

The victory was Sabalenka’s first match since the US Open final in September, when she lost to Elena Rybakina, according to BBC Sport. That result also cost her the world No. 1 ranking. Beijing therefore marked a return to competition after a significant defeat, with a place in the next round secured immediately.

What Sabalenka said about her expectations

Asked about being self-critical, Sabalenka told BBC Sport: ‘I think this is a good and a bad side of my personality, that I always ask and wait for more from myself.’ She said those expectations could push her forward but could also drain her energy. Her comments followed a win in which Zarazua never reached break point.

BBC Sport reported that Sabalenka has not won a title since taking Indian Wells and the Miami Open back to back in March. It also said she will finish a season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2022. Those results help explain why her comments about demanding more of herself accompanied an otherwise comfortable opening win in Beijing.

How the Zarazua match unfolded

SportoweFakty reported that Sabalenka broke Zarazua in the second game of the opening set and again to move 5-1 ahead. In the second set, it said she broke in the third game and completed the win with a cross-court forehand on her second match point. The Polish outlet recorded 36 winners and 14 unforced errors for Sabalenka, against seven winners and 20 unforced errors for Zarazua.

Zarazua had won her previous match against Anna Bondar, SportoweFakty reported. Against Sabalenka, she held serve three times in the second set, but could not create a break-point chance. The WTA’s official statistics show Sabalenka faced none across the match, underlining the difference between Zarazua staying in individual games and threatening her opponent’s service games.

Who Sabalenka faces next in Beijing

Sabalenka’s next opponent is 20-year-old Czech Nikola Bartunkova, BBC Sport reported. Bartunkova reached the third round after beating Magdalena Frech, and the BBC noted that she had come close to beating Sabalenka at the Berlin Open in June. Their Beijing match had not been played at the time of this report.

The China Open is a hard-court WTA 1000 event. In its tournament guide, the WTA described Beijing as the season’s second-to-last tournament at that level and listed Sabalenka as the No. 2 seed behind Rybakina. The guide scheduled third-round singles matches for October 4 and 5 and the singles final for October 11.

Rybakina, who defeated Sabalenka at the US Open, was scheduled to begin her own Beijing campaign on Saturday, October 3, BBC Sport reported. Both players are in the China Open field, but Sabalenka’s immediate task is Bartunkova. The opening win establishes her place in the third round; it does not determine how far her Beijing run will go.