Ann Li served up one of the most surprising WTA upsets at the 2026 Wuhan Open on Wednesday, scoring a stunning win against the tennis tournament's top seed, Aryna Sabalenka, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in their second-round meeting.
But the 26-year-old US star had to come from behind to earn that victory.
Li Needs 10 Match Points to Topple Sabalenka in Wuhan
After dropping the first set, Li trailed 4-2 in the second before reeling off four straight games to level the match. She surged ahead 5-2 in the decider, yet Sabalenka fought off nine chances to end it across three games, dragging the frame into a tiebreak.
Despite that late push, Li finally closed it out on her 10th chance.
"I was about to crash out," she said afterward. "I didn't play bad. She just played really well. So you have to play point by point. And I knew that if I stayed there, I could get into that situation again, which is all you can ask for."
The win was Li's first over Sabalenka in four career meetings, and her third top 10 victory overall. For Sabalenka, the loss extended a difficult stretch.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has now gone seven months without a trophy and dropped from her world No. 1 ranking after Elena Rybakina overtook her last month. She had her right knee visibly taped throughout the match against the US underdog, and needed on-court treatment in the decider.
Li moves on to face Indonesia's Janice Tjen in the Wuhan Open's third round. It's her fourth consecutive WTA 1000 event reaching that stage.
