Sabalenka stunned in Qatar Open upset

World number one Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out of the Qatar Open after losing a third-set tiebreak on a day of upsets for seeded players.

The Australian Open runner-up won the first set comfortably 6-3 against Ekaterina Alexandrova but the Russian hit back in the second set to force it to a decider.

No sooner had Sabalenka earned a break point lead, Alexandrova broke back and the final set went to a tiebreak. The Belarussian saved two match points before Alexandrova finally claimed victory to move into the last 16.

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine capitalised on 39 unforced errors to oust number three seed Coco Gauff 6-2, 7-5 in the second round.

The 22-year-old unseeded Kostyuk won 58% of the total points, broke Gauff's serve four times and benefited from seven double faults from the former U.S. Open champion.

Tunisia's Ons Jabeur eliminated number seven seed Qinwen Zheng of China 6-4, 6-2, breaking Zheng's serve six times and winning 70% of her first-serve points.

In a series of unexpected outcomes at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2025, world number one Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated in the second round by Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova. Sabalenka secured the first set 6-3, but Alexandrova rallied to take the next two sets 6-3 and 7-6(5), clinching the match in a decisive tiebreak. 

This defeat marks Sabalenka's earliest exit in this tournament to date. Alexandrova's victory extends her winning streak to six matches, following her recent title at the Linz tournament. 

The tournament also witnessed other significant upsets. Third seed Coco Gauff was ousted by Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5. Additionally, seeds such as Qinwen Zheng, Mirra Andreeva, and Liudmila Samsonova faced early exits, underscoring the unpredictable nature of this year's competition. 

Despite these surprises, fourth seed Jasmine Paolini and fifth seed Elena Rybakina advanced to the last 16, each securing straight-set victories over their respective opponents.