World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame an early scare to defeat Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto on August 4, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Uchijima, ranked 111th, broke Sabalenka's serve in the opening game and surged to a 2-0 lead. Sabalenka then fought back to win five consecutive games, taking the first set 6-3 [1, 2, 3].
The second set featured several momentum shifts, with the players exchanging five breaks of serve. Sabalenka gained a 3-2 lead before sealing the match with an overhead winner on her second match point [1, 2, 3]. The victory extended Sabalenka's impressive hard court form in 2026 to 24 wins in 25 matches, her only hard court loss this year being the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina [1, 2, 3, 4].
After the match, Sabalenka said, "I'm happy with the performance, I'm happy with the fight. I knew going into this match I might struggle a little bit after a little break, but I was ready for that. I'm happy that mentally and physically I was ready to go" [1].
Sabalenka is set to face China's Zhang Shuai in the third round. Zhang advanced after Jelena Ostapenko retired while trailing 6-0, 4-0 in their match [1, 2, 3].
The US Open begins on August 30, where Sabalenka will aim for a third consecutive title on North American hard courts [1, 2, 3].
