Aryna Sabalenka’s Beijing return: feeling ‘fresh’ after losing No. 1

Aryna Sabalenka has returned to Beijing for the China Open, her first tournament since losing the world No. 1 ranking to Elena Rybakina. In comments published by the WTA on September 30, she said she was feeling healthier and stronger as she approached the remaining events of her season.

“At the US Open, it was kind of the moment when I started to feel healthier and stronger,” Sabalenka said. “I really enjoyed playing tennis. I got back to my mindset. Physically I got better.” That account of renewed confidence comes after a Grand Slam season in which she finished without a major title.

What Sabalenka said about her Beijing return

Sabalenka told reporters she was benefiting from having played fewer matches. “This time I feel like, because I didn’t play that many matches, I feel fresh,” she said in AFP’s September 29 report from Beijing, published by Daily Sabah.

She described the middle of her season as a difficult period. “The middle part of the season ... didn’t go that well. I struggled a little bit with different stuff,” she told AFP. At the US Open, she said, being healthier mentally and physically had helped her enjoy tennis again.

Beijing also marks a return to a tournament she missed in 2025 because of an injury, according to AFP. She is pursuing her first China Open title and entered as the second seed, behind Rybakina. AFP reported that she had not won a tour title since March.

When did Sabalenka lose the No. 1 ranking?

The decisive ranking development came before the US Open final. On September 9, the WTA announced that Rybakina’s quarterfinal victory over Zheng Qinwen had secured her ascent to No. 1. The change took effect in the rankings released on September 14.

Rybakina became the 30th woman to reach the top of the WTA singles rankings and the first player representing Kazakhstan to do so. The WTA’s announcement highlighted results across the preceding months, including her undefeated run to the 2025 WTA Finals title, the 2026 Australian Open title and April’s Stuttgart title.

She had also finished runner-up at Indian Wells and Toronto. That record provides the wider context for the ranking change: her rise followed a series of strong tournament performances, with the September 9 result confirming the forthcoming switch at the top.

What changed after the US Open final?

Since NewsJaws’ preview of Rybakina and Sabalenka’s US Open meeting, Rybakina has won the final and both players have returned to tournament preparations in Beijing. Sabalenka’s latest comments add her account of improved wellbeing to the sporting consequences of that defeat.

Rybakina beat Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in New York on September 12, according to Roland-Garros’ match report. The result prevented Sabalenka from winning a third consecutive US Open title and left her without a Grand Slam trophy in a season for the first time since 2022.

The same report put Sabalenka ahead 10-8 in their career meetings after the final, while Rybakina led their hard-court meetings 8-7. Those figures describe the rivalry at the end of that match, when Rybakina collected her third Grand Slam singles title.

What Rybakina wants from the rest of the season

Rybakina’s next stated target is to finish the year at No. 1. “I would like to push and finish at No. 1,” she said at her October 1 Beijing media conference, according to the WTA. She also acknowledged the competition: “It’s a lot of good players, a lot of tough opponents. Anything can change.”

The WTA described Beijing as her first tournament appearing simultaneously as world No. 1 and top seed. Its October 1 report scheduled her second-round match against Alina Charaeva for Saturday, October 3. That is a scheduled fixture, with her year-end ranking ambition still an open contest.

Rybakina also reported a lingering foot problem. She said rest had helped, but she still felt it intermittently after returning to court. For Sabalenka, the immediate message from Beijing was her own improved physical condition and renewed enjoyment of tennis; neither player’s comments establish how the remaining tournaments will unfold.