Aliaksandra Sasnovich Upsets Naomi Osaka at China Open

BEIJING, China — Qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich staged a remarkable comeback to defeat No. 12 seed Naomi Osaka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the China Open on September 27, 2025. This victory marks Sasnovich’s first win over Osaka in five matches.

Initially, Osaka dominated the match, taking the first set and leading with a break in the second. She had a strong track record at the China Open, not having lost a completed match in Beijing since 2018. Her previous wins over Sasnovich included a 6-0, 6-0 rout during the 2018 US Open.

However, Sasnovich, 31, shocked spectators by turning the match around. After trailing 3-2 in the second set, she broke back with an unexpected angled backhand winner, which shifted the momentum in her favor. She ended the second set by taking advantage of Osaka’s faltering backhand.

Sasnovich ramped up her performance, hitting 21 winners in the final two sets and improving her first serve percentage to 64%. In stark contrast, Osaka struggled, accumulating 33 unforced errors in the last two sets, which contributed to her downfall.

Speaking on-court after her victory, Sasnovich expressed her disbelief at defeating Osaka, stating, “Honestly I didn’t believe til the end that I can beat Naomi, because she’s a great player.” Sasnovich’s victory is a significant achievement, being her 24th career win against a Top 20 player and her first in over 16 months.

Next, Sasnovich will face No. 23 seed Marta Kostyuk, aiming to advance to the last 16 in a WTA 1000-level tournament for the first time since the 2022 French Open. Meanwhile, Osaka will look to regroup after this unexpected loss.