Belinda Bencic's difficult stretch on the WTA tour continued Thursday at the 2026 Ningbo Open, where the Swiss No. 5 seed fell to qualifier Katarzyna Kawa in straight sets. The 7-5, 6-2 second-round loss marks another early exit for the world No. 14, who hasn't strung together consecutive wins since reaching the Toronto quarterfinals in early August.
Bencic Loses Early to Another Qualifier at Ningbo Open
For Kawa, though, the upset was a milestone.
The 33-year-old Polish qualifier, ranked outside the Top 125, picked up her first victory over a Top 20 opponent on the Ningbo hard courts. She also advanced to her first-ever WTA 500 quarterfinal with the win. After trading momentum through a tight opening set, she broke Bencic repeatedly in the second to pull away comfortably.
The timing stings for Bencic. She will likely lose the 500 ranking points she earned from her Tokyo title 12 months ago when the WTA scores update next week. With only 60 points gained in Ningbo, a big drop in the standings is on the way.
Meanwhile, Kawa will look to keep her breakout run going in the quarterfinals. Though she's set to face current world No. 1 Elena Rybakina in the final eight, so she'll need to be even sharper on Friday.
Elena Rybakina advanced to the 2026 Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Thursday after Polina Kudermetova was forced out by a shoulder injury just 30 minutes into their second-round match. The world No. 1 had already built a 5-0 lead when a visibly emotional Kudermetova stopped play.
"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," Rybakina said of the win. She added that she hoped Kudermetova bounces back quickly.
Rybakina Records Milestone at Ningbo Open After Kudermetova's Retirement
Despite the unfortunate ending, the result still marked a milestone for Rybakina.
It was her 50th win of 2026. It was also the first she's picked up wearing the No. 1 ranking, putting her at 50-14 on the season. Only Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva have matched that number this year.
With Kudermetova behind her, Rybakina's focus has already shifted to the final eight in Ningbo. She'll face Poland's Katarzyna Kawa, ranked No. 128, who pulled off a 7-5, 6-2 upset over No. 5 seed Belinda Bencic earlier in the day.
Rybakina now carries a five-match winning streak on the hard courts in China. She remains the player to watch as WTA scores from Ningbo continue to roll in this week.
The 2026 Pan Pacific Open just unveiled one of the deepest draws left on the WTA tour calendar. Multiple top 10 players, led by world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, headline the season's final WTA 500 event, which runs Oct. 26th through November 1st in Tokyo.
Rybakina returns after a back injury ended her semifinal bid here last year, but she's far from the only name with something to play for.
5 Top Ranked Players Head to Tokyo Ahead of WTA Finals
The WTA tournament field in Tokyo includes Iga Świątek, Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, and Marta Kostyuk as defending champion Belinda Bencic returns after taking last year's title over Linda Nosková.
Beyond the trophy, several players have year-end positioning at stake. Svitolina and Kostyuk are both chasing spots in the WTA Finals, and Rybakina could solidify her grip on the No. 1 ranking with a strong run.
Meanwhile, breakouts like Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic, Leylah Fernandez, and Maja Chwalinska look to end their year on a high note with a strong showing after a busy hard court season. And former champion Naomi Osaka adds a hometown narrative to a week with plenty on the line.
With a six-figure purse and 500 points awaiting the winner, the Pan Pacific Open offers one of the last chances for players to climb the rankings before the 2026 tour wraps up.
Aryna Sabalenka racked up $7,500 in penalties during a volatile US Open 2026 final against Elena Rybakina. The two-time defending champion received a ball abuse warning, a racket abuse code violation, and an audible obscenity citation… all in one match.
What Led to Aryna Sabalenka's Racket Smash Penalty?
The trouble started in the first set after Rybakina broke Sabalenka's serve. Sabalenka launched a ball into the stands, prompting chair umpire Greg Allensworth to issue a warning. She struck another ball in frustration later in the match, that time nearly hitting a cameraman.
After Rybakina closed out the match 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, Sabalenka returned to her bench area and hammered her racket against the ground. Then, she cursed at a camera operator ahead of the trophy presentation.
"It's really tough to control your emotions when you lose in the final of the Grand Slam," Sabalenka said afterward. "I wanted to let all of that aggression and disappointment."
The USTA fine will be deducted from her $2.8 million in runner-up prize money. Still, the financial hit is minor compared to what Sabalenka lost on court.
Rybakina's win, her third Grand Slam title, ended Sabalenka's 20-match US Open winning streak and her three-peat bud. It also knocked her from the WTA's No. 1 ranking after 99 weeks on top.
Elena Rybakina became the first player to score a spot at the 2026 WTA Finals at Indian Wells. The top-ranked tennis star leads the race with 7,492 points after Australian Open and US Open wins this season, while also entering as the tournament's defending champion.
WTA Finals: Where Rankings Leaders Stand Today
The rest of the women's tennis field has ground to make up.
Seven WTA Finals tickets remain, and the margins between contenders are thin. No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka sits second with 6,485 points following her Sunshine Double sweep earlier this season. Meanwhile, US stars Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff hold the third and fourth positions, separated by fewer than 200 points.
Then there's 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva. The Roland Garros champion currently ranks fifth, boosted by her US Open quarterfinals finish. Just below her, Elina Svitolina and Karolína Muchová round out the Top 7 as it stands today.
Linda Nosková, the 2026 Wimbledon winner, scored the eighth and final qualifying spot with 4,234 points. But the race leaves little room for error. Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek lurks at No. 10, just outside the cut after a recent title run in Toronto ended an 11-month drought.
However, with two WTA 1000 events still to go, the picture could shift quickly.
The WTA rankings got a refresh this week, as US Open results impacted the women’s standings far beyond a well-publicized swap at the top.
Elena Rybakina began her tenure at No. 1 after downing now-No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s Grand Slam final. Meanwhile, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 6 Linda Nosková all held steady.
“The achievement of becoming No. 1 at first was so stressful,” Rybakina said in Queens. “Now, also winning the title here, it’s tough to believe.”
China’s Qinwen Zheng saw the biggest post-US Open shift, skyrocketing from No. 151 to No. 52 following an unexpected quarterfinal run.
US quarterfinalist Emma Navarro also hopped from No. 27 to No. 24. However, Japanese favorite Naomi Osaka fell from No. 13 to No. 17 after her Round of 16 exit.
Former No. 11 Marta Kostyuk rose one spot to enter the Top 10. Fellow Ukrainian No. 7 Elina Svitolina then leapfrogged No. 8 Karolína Muchová and No. 9 Iga Świątek, claiming her highest WTA ranking since 2021.
Elena Rybakina took Queens by storm, dethroning defending champion No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to lift her first US Open trophy on Saturday.
The calm and collected newly minted world No. 1 notched 12 aces in the win, including the serve that put the match out of reach for former No. 1 Sabalenka as the Belarusian fell short of her three-peat bid.
“I’m obviously not really happy with the level I played today, but she served incredible,” said Sabalenka. “She played really aggressive, great tennis.”
Rybakina is closing in on a career slam, eying an elusive French Open title after wins at the 2026 Australian Open and 2022 Wimbledon.
The 27-year-old earned Kazakhstan’s first-ever No. 1 ranking, dropping just three sets in Flushing Meadows despite a lingering ankle injury.
“It’s tough to find words right now, honestly,” she said postmatch. “I didn’t expect nothing like this coming to this tournament.”
Coco Gauff's bid to reclaim the US Open crown has ended at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Newly minted world No. 1 Elena Rybakina rallied past the No. 4 seed 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday's Gauff vs Rybakina semifinal.
Gauff now advances to face Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's US Open final.
What Went Wrong for Coco Gauff vs Elena Rybakina?
Despite the final score, Gauff controlled the match early, easily winning the first set. But Rybakina adjusted her game on the back of a first-serve percentage that climbed to 76%. She sealed the victory with 21 winners compared to Gauff's 16.
A few shaky service games in the second and third sets also proved costly for the two-time Grand Slam champion, who won the title in Flushing Meadows just three years ago.
“It hurts,” Gauff said. “I think the competitor in me, this is the tournament I want to perform at. I did perform, but the one that you want to come out with a win. It's definitely a learning experience.”
Coco Gauff Details Post-US Open Plans
Still, the loss comes at the end of a productive summer that included a Wimbledon semifinal and a Cincinnati title. Gauff acknowledged the sting but pointed to the bigger picture.
"Right now it sucks," she said. "My dad came up. He was, like, ‘You accomplished so many great things this summer.’ I was, like, ‘I don't care about the summer.' So right now that's where my head is at. I want to be a consistent player. I want to give myself as many opportunities as I can to lift a trophy."
Just 22 years old, Gauff plans to keep building.
"I'm looking at the other semifinalists. They're older than me, like, three, four years older than me," Gauff continued.
"I'm just trying to think of how much work I put into the year, how far I've come. Now I'm just excited to keep putting the work in for another year, another two years, and see where my game can take me. Hopefully it will be on the winning end of matches like this."
Tennis’s top two are hitting the court, as No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on freshly minted world No. 1 Elena Rybakina in tomorrow’s 2026 US Open final.
Sabalenka continues roll toward a third straight title, making quick work of No. 3 Jessica Pegula in last night’s 7-5, 6-2 semifinal victory.
Rybakina is also living up to her new title, ousting home-court favorite No. 4 Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in Thursday’s closer.
Sabalenka and Rybakina will be the first Nos. 1 and 2 seeds to meet at a US Open women’s final since Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka in 2013.
Sabalenka is already the first WTA star to reach four consecutive US Open finals since Serena Williams in 2014, as the 28-year-old strives to pull off the first three-peat Queens has seen since Williams’s run that same year.
“I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course I want to go all the way,” she said after Thursday’s win.
The 2026 US Open final kicks off Saturday (ESPN).
Elena Rybakina fought back from a set down on Wednesday to beat Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the 2026 US Open quarterfinals. The win moved her to the top of the WTA live rankings, ending Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week hold on the No. 1 spot.
Elena Rybakina Fights Back Against Qinwen Zheng in Tight Quarterfinal
Zheng, who returned to the tour this year as a qualifier after elbow surgery, took the first set with some aggressive baseline play. However, Rybakina answered by running away with the second in just 38 minutes.
Then, after a costly double fault by the Chinese international in the third, Rybakina closed the door on a tight decider to reach her first US Open semifinal.
It was the third time this season Rybakina came back from a set down against Zheng, adding to earlier wins in Doha and Madrid. Her head-to-head advantage now stands at 5-1.
"It was definitely a battle inside me," Rybakina said. "But I'm glad I pushed all the negative thoughts away."
Rybakina's Win Shuffles the WTA Live Rankings
Still, Rybakina waved off talk of her new ranking, calling it "just a number."
Instead, her focus is on grabbing another Grand Slam title to wrap up the year. Up next, she faces No. 4 Coco Gauff for a spot in the final.