Sabalenka advances at China Open with dominant 62-minute victory

Aryna Sabalenka launched her China Open campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mexico's Renata Zarazua on Friday in Beijing. The Belarusian world number two served 11 aces and committed minimal unforced errors during the 62-minute match, breaking Zarazua's serve twice to secure the win. Sabalenka, ranked 94th, lost only 7 points on serve throughout the contest.

After the match, Sabalenka reflected on her performance: "I was just trying to stay focused on myself. Tried to stay aggressive on my serve, on the return as well. So happy with the game I played today." The 28-year-old's strong start marks a significant rebound following a difficult end to her 2026 season, which saw her lose the world number one ranking to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina and fail to secure a Grand Slam title.

Sabalenka will face Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in the round of 32 as she pursues a potential title run at the WTA 500-level event. With Rybakina defending several ranking points in the final stretch of the season, Sabalenka remains positioned to reclaim the top ranking if she continues her strong play through the remainder of the tournament.