Top seeds Sabalenka and Gauff upset in Qatar Open second round

DOHA, Qatar — In a shocking turn at the Qatar Open on Tuesday, world number one Aryna Sabalenka and third-ranked Coco Gauff both faced unexpected exits in the second round of the prestigious WTA 1,000 event.

Sabalenka was defeated by Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked 26th in the world, in a tightly contested match that ended with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). After a strong start, Sabalenka struggled to maintain her lead, losing momentum in the decisive third set.

Alexandrova showcased remarkable resilience, coming back from a break down twice during the final set. She held her nerve during a tie-break that lasted nearly two and a half hours, setting up a third-round match against Belgium’s Elise Mertens.

“I told myself before the match you need to do the maximum you can do,” said Alexandrova. “If you lose, at least you tried everything tonight. I’m glad it paid off because it feels amazing now.”

Gauff also left the tournament early, falling to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk with a score of 6-2, 7-5. Gauff’s performance was marred by 39 unforced errors and seven double faults, effectively ending her quest for the title in her first match since a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open.

Kostyuk, the world number 21, expressed admiration for Gauff, stating, “Coco is an incredible fighter. We always have incredible matches. I tried to stick to what I had to do. I’m very happy it worked out in two sets.”

The match between Gauff and Kostyuk saw Gauff initially take a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Kostyuk fought back to seize victory, capitalizing on Gauff’s errors. Kostyuk will next face the winner of an all-Polish contest between Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech.

In other matches, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina recorded a 6-2, 6-4 victory over American Peyton Stearns, while three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur advanced past world number eight Qinwen Zheng with a score of 6-4, 6-2. Jabeur’s win marked her first victory against a top-10 player since the Madrid Open last year.

Linda Noskova triumphed over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva with a score of 6-2, 6-3 to earn a last-16 matchup with defending champion Iga Swiatek.

As the tournament progresses, both top-ranked players experiencing early eliminations highlight the unpredictability and competitive nature of tennis.