Alina Charaeva has carried her Beijing breakthrough into the fourth round of the China Open, following her shock comeback over newly crowned World No. 1 Elena Rybakina with a composed 6-4, 6-1 dismissal of Sonay Kartal on Monday.
The Armenian, ranked No. 118, is through to the last 16 of a WTA 1000 event for the first time. Her reward is a Wednesday meeting with Chinese wild card Zheng Qinwen, a home favourite, with a first WTA 1000 quarterfinal place at stake.
A landmark run in Beijing
- Charaeva opened her campaign by overturning Rybakina in the Kazakh player’s first match since the US Open and her first outing as World No. 1.
- The result made Charaeva the first Armenian player to beat a reigning No. 1 since the WTA rankings began in 1975.
- At No. 118, she also became the lowest-ranked player in the rankings era to come back and defeat the World No. 1.
- She is only the second player to defeat a newly installed No. 1 in that player’s first match at the summit, after Kristina Mladenovic beat Naomi Osaka in Dubai in 2019.
- Charaeva also joined Julie Coin, who beat Ana Ivanovic at the 2008 US Open, and Kai Chen Chang, who defeated Dinara Safina in Tokyo in 2009, as the only players since 1990 to beat the World No. 1 in their first career match against a top-10 opponent.
- She then ensured the upset was not a one-match flash by beating Kartal in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
“It is especially meaningful because this is my first WTA 1000 fourth round, and it is also my first time in Beijing,” Charaeva said. “I am very pleased with the work I have done and with the way I have handled my emotions and the mental side.”
Wednesday test against Zheng
Zheng advanced to set up the encounter after beating Marie Bouzkova, and Charaeva will face both a formidable opponent and the backing of the Beijing crowd. The match will be Charaeva’s 60th of the season.
She arrives with a 36-23 record in 2026, having stepped up regularly against stronger opposition. Her notable victories this year include Sofia Kenin in Seoul last week, Sara Bejlek at the Birmingham 125 and Nikola Bartunkova in Madrid qualifying.
“This year I have begun playing at a higher level and facing better players,” Charaeva said. “For my coach and me, whether I win or lose, competing against those players is how you find your true level.
“Sometimes I may lose often, but the matches can still be close against top players. That is where I have built my game, and it is satisfying that the work is now bringing results.”
Eight years with Martinez
Charaeva, 24, has trained under Carlos Martinez for eight years and is based at his CMC Competition academy near Barcelona. Martinez has previously worked with players including Daria Kasatkina, Simona Halep and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
“He is almost like a father to me,” Charaeva said of her long-time coach. “Reaching this point together means a lot because it has been our dream. He is a very good coach.”
Her rise has been built over more than one season. Charaeva began the year just outside the top 160, while last year’s Asian swing brought a semifinal and a final at two WTA 125 tournaments in China, followed by first-round exits in Tokyo and Chennai.
In 2026, she has made main-draw appearances in Beijing, Rouen, Madrid, Iasi, Hamburg, Cincinnati, São Paulo and Seoul, while also winning the WTA 125 title in Midland. Those results have put her on course to move beyond her career-high ranking of No. 108, reached before the US Open.
Charaeva has contested qualifying at all four majors but has yet to emerge from a Grand Slam qualifying draw. Her closest attempts came in the final qualifying round at Wimbledon earlier this year and at the 2025 US Open. A sustained finish to this season could put direct entry to the Australian Open within reach.
“People might call this a big step this season, but I do not see it as one sudden leap,” she said. “It is the product of many years of work. I have been more consistent this year and last year, and staying healthier has made a real difference.”
