Charaeva reveals how she defeated Rybakina: "I was very nervous"

Alina Charaeva has delivered one of the biggest surprises of the week at the WTA 1000 in Beijing by defeating Elena Rybakina, who was eliminated from the Chinese tournament in the first round. The world number one, playing her first match since reaching the top of the ranking, fell 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to a player ranked outside the Top 100. Charaeva, currently ranked number 118 in the world, achieved the most important victory of her career against the recent US Open champion.

A lot was at stake in Beijing, such as taking advantage of one of the last major tournaments of the season to gain points, build confidence, and move closer to the WTA Finals. Beijing was also offering a title of great importance and kept the battle at the top of the ranking alive between Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka. However, everything changed in just a few hours. First, the Kazakh lost, and shortly thereafter, Sabalenka was eliminated by Nikola Bartunkova, leaving the tournament without its top two seeds in just over twelve hours.

The most shocking defeat is, inevitably, Rybakina's. The recent US Open champion arrived in Beijing officially debuting as the world number one and found herself against Alina Charaeva, who had never before played against a Top 20 opponent. The 24-year-old Armenian, ranked 118, did not crumble after losing the first set and staged a historic comeback as she is the lowest-ranked player to beat a world number one after losing a set since the WTA rankings started.

After all the demands accumulated during the North American tour and especially following the US Open, such results also reflect how challenging it can be to maintain physical and mental levels week after week. Rybakina went in a matter of days from conquering New York and reaching the pinnacle of women's tennis to saying goodbye to Beijing in her first match.

CAREER DEFINING WIN 🤯

Alina Charaeva defeats the World No.1 Rybakina in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/VQKWMMPWNb

— wta (@WTA) October 3, 2026

This is what Charaeva said after defeating Rybakina

“I have no words. Playing against Elena, especially being the world number one, has been an incredible experience. I am very happy to have controlled my emotions and played my best tennis. I think after losing the first set, it was all about continuing to believe. I have played many three-set matches lately, and many times I have started losing, so my thinking was simply to keep trying, continue fighting, and find a way to turn it around. I knew that if I could show my best version, I could compete against her.”

“I tried to enjoy the match and not get too nervous, although it was impossible because I was really nervous. I am very pleased to have managed the whole situation. It was the first time I played on the central court in Beijing, and experiencing something like this, with so many people in the stands cheering for her and also supporting me, has been special. It’s a completely new experience, and I hope to see all those fans again in the next round.”

The elimination of the top two players in the ranking completely changes the landscape of the WTA 1000 in Beijing. The draw is much more open, and there appears to be a huge opportunity for those players ranked just below the top favorites. Second, third, or even fourth-tier players may find themselves facing an opportunity that is unlikely to repeat to lift a WTA 1000 title. There is a great title at stake, a huge amount of points for the ranking, and a particularly valuable prize for those still fighting to get closer to the WTA Finals.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Charaeva cuenta cómo venció a Rybakina: "Estaba muy nerviosa"