Alina Charaeva Upsets World No. 1 Elena Rybakina in Beijing

Charaeva, now just the ninth player outside the Top 100 to beat a World No. 1, described the moment as a dream come true. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing," she said.

This match was only Charaeva's 17th tour-level main-draw appearance, surpassing her previous career-best win against No. 31 Wang Xinyu earlier this year. With this upset, she advanced to the third round, where she will face Sonay Kartal for the first time.

Charaeva had a strong start, breaking Rybakina in the opening game due to several unforced errors. However, Rybakina quickly returned the favor, breaking back to establish a pattern of momentum shifts throughout the match. Rybakina managed to secure the first set 6-3 after breaking Charaeva to lead 5-3.

In the second set, both players exchanged breaks until Charaeva seized control, eventually forcing a decisive third set. In the final set, Charaeva broke Rybakina again, ultimately serving out the match after overcoming a break point herself.

Rybakina acknowledged the difficulties of competing shortly after her US Open victory, noting, "Obviously it was a very tough day out there. Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match, and I felt my foot a little bit at the end of the match."

Charaeva’s win not only marked her first victory against a Top 10 player but also set her up for a potential debut in the Top 100. She expressed her excitement about continuing in the tournament and enjoying her time in Beijing. Her performance this season has already included winning her first WTA 125 title and reaching two quarterfinals.