Aryna Sabalenka’s difficult stretch continued at the Cincinnati Open, where the world No. 1 fell in the fourth round to unseeded Sara Bejlek. Leading coach Rick Macci said he believes “Sabalenka is competing against herself”.

Sabalenka opened the 2026 campaign in strong fashion, defending her Brisbane International title before reaching the Australian Open final, where she finished runner-up to Elena Rybakina. She then built a major cushion over her rivals in March by winning both Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double. Since then, however, her results have fallen away. Diana Shnaider beat her in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, and Naomi Osaka sent her out in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

That uneven run has continued on the North American hard courts. Sabalenka was previously defeated by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16, and her Cincinnati exit added another setback. Against Bejlek, the opening set was closely fought. Sabalenka broke in the first game, but the 20-year-old recovered and took the tie-break. In the second set, Bejlek broke immediately, Sabalenka responded by winning four straight games and moving 4-1 ahead, yet she did not claim another game as Bejlek closed out a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 victory.

Sabalenka now holds a 40-8 record for the season, but Macci thinks confidence is becoming a concern. “Sabalenka is on a slippery slope as the Belarus Bomber still has an unreal serve but in tough moments I see a different mindset with her nerve,” he wrote on X.

The loss also leaves the top ranking under threat. Rybakina can move to No. 1 if she reaches the Cincinnati final. Even if she does not capitalise there, the US Open offers another chance, with Sabalenka defending 2,000 points after winning last year’s title while Rybakina is defending only 240. Macci described the upcoming tournament in New York as “wide open”. He added: “Right now Sabalenka is competing against herself. When an athlete does this you can still get a few wins but mentally your confidence spins,” before calling it “the U.S. WIDE OPEN for the WTA as 15 different players could have the final say.”

Alex Eala’s maiden WTA Tour title in Washington DC brought more than a trophy and ranking points. It also delivered the second-largest payday of her young career, moving her closer to the top 20 in prize money earned this season.

The 21-year-old made history at the WTA 500 event by becoming the first Filipina to win a top-level title. After a nervy opening set, she recovered to defeat top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a final delayed by rain. The victory came with 500 points and a cheque for $252,000.

That run had a wider impact on the event itself. Even with Sunday’s final pushed to Monday because of lightning and rain in DC, the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center was at capacity once again, with Filipino supporters filling the stands. Tournament director Mark Ein said earlier in the week that “ticketing team says at least 80%, if not more, of the requests in this tournament are about when is Alex Eala playing”.

The Washington prize money lifted Eala’s 2026 total to $1,537,330, including $76,918 from doubles. It also trails the $402,563 she collected after reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon. In the 2026 prize money standings, she is currently 22nd, with Taylor Townsend ahead on $1,621,374, though most of that American’s earnings came in doubles. Eala is just $165,606 outside the top 20, where Sorana Cirstea sits on $1,702,936.

At the top of the list, the gap remains considerable. Iga Swiatek is 10th on $2,246,059, while Linda Noskova leads with $6,188,432, including $4.8m from Wimbledon. Mirra Andreeva is second on $4,830,756 and Aryna Sabalenka third on $5,083,826.

Eala’s career earnings now stand at $2,901,015, placing her 280th on the all-time list. Her biggest cheque of 2026 remains the $332,160 she earned for reaching the Miami Open semi-finals.

With more than half of her career total coming this season, Eala is rapidly closing in on the $3,000,000 mark.

Alex Eala’s breakthrough run in Washington has given her a first WTA Tour title and a new place among the sport’s fastest risers. The Filipina defeated the top three seeds at the WTA 500 event, beating Jessica Pegula in the final after earlier wins over Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina.

That title has lifted Eala to world No 20, and the 21-year-old now moves on to the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open before the US Open. On paper, it is a promising stretch. In practice, the timing of her schedule may make the next stage harder than it needs to be.

Eala has already confirmed that she will play doubles with Venus Williams in Toronto, having previously skipped that option in Washington. The pair also played together on grass at Bad Homburg, where they reached the quarter finals. Yet there is a strong case that her choice in Canada may complicate rather than support her singles momentum.

Washington offered a clear example of what happens when Eala is able to focus solely on one discipline. Without doubles commitments, she delivered the best week of her career so far and showed why she is among the most in-form players on the WTA Tour. At the Canadian Open, however, her workload could be far heavier.

The Washington final, which unfolded over two days because of a thunderstorm, disrupted preparation for both finalists. Eala then arrived only 24 hours before her scheduled singles match against Alycia Parks. Now, with her doubles match alongside Williams set for Thursday’s order of play against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova, she may be required to compete every day if she remains alive in both draws.

That is a substantial ask after five matches in the past week. Eala is defending only 70 ranking points in singles through the end of the US Open, so her ranking trajectory still offers real upward potential. Whether the added doubles commitment helps her or hinders her is another matter entirely.