Facts verified. Now writing the article — note the search confirms Sabalenka lost in Toronto while Norrie’s match was in Montreal (the Canadian Open splits its men’s and women’s draws across the two cities).
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Aryna Sabalenka’s reign as world number one carried her into the last 16 of the Canadian Open as the overwhelming favourite in Toronto — and out of it in three sets. The Belarusian was beaten 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday, a double fault while serving to stay in the match handing the 16th seed the biggest win of her hardcourt summer. On the men’s side in Montreal, Britain’s Cameron Norrie let two set points slip and was edged out 6-2 7-6 (10-8) by France’s Arthur Fils, ending a promising run in the fourth round.
Sabalenka undone by Alexandrova’s nerve
Sabalenka arrived in Toronto having spent the season at the top of the rankings and as one of the form players on tour, but Alexandrova refused to be intimidated. The 16th seed took a tight opening set on a tie-break, striking cleanly off both wings and denying Sabalenka the rhythm she thrives on from the baseline.
The top seed responded as champions do, levelling the match by taking the second set 6-4 and appearing to seize the momentum. But Alexandrova held her nerve in the decider, and it was Sabalenka — normally so ruthless in the closing stages — who blinked. Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, she produced a double fault to gift Alexandrova the win and a place in the quarter-finals.
It is a chastening result for a player who has made the latter stages of tournaments her habit. Alexandrova, ranked outside the world’s top 15, has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous unseeded-tier hitters on tour, capable of dismantling anyone on her day. This was that day.
Norrie’s fightback falls just short
In Montreal, Norrie could reflect on a match that got away from him. The 18th seed Fils raced through the opening set 6-2, the Frenchman’s power and court coverage giving the Briton little to work with early on.
Norrie, however, has built a career on stubbornness, and he dug in. He saved three match points in the second set to force a tie-break and twice held set points that would have taken the contest to a decider. Each time the chance went begging. Fils, one of the brightest talents in the French game, held his composure to edge the breaker 10-8 and close out the win in one hour and 43 minutes.
For Norrie, it is a defeat that will sting precisely because of how close he came. The former world number eight has spent much of the past two seasons rebuilding his ranking, and runs like this — a fourth-round appearance at a Masters-level event — are the platform on which that recovery is built. The margins, on this occasion, were unforgiving.
What it means heading into the US Open
The timing of both exits matters. The Canadian Open is one of the last significant tune-ups before the US Open in New York, and the hardcourts of Toronto and Montreal are as close as the calendar gets to a dress rehearsal for the season’s final Grand Slam.
For Sabalenka, a former US Open champion, the loss is a dent to momentum rather than a crisis. She remains the woman to beat in New York, and early-week exits at warm-up events have rarely derailed her at the majors — if anything, extra rest before a Grand Slam can be a hidden advantage. The concern will be the manner of the defeat: a double fault at the decisive moment is the kind of lapse she will want ironed out before Flushing Meadows.
- Sabalenka beaten 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Toronto last 16
- Norrie edged 6-2 7-6 (10-8) by Arthur Fils in Montreal after spurning two set points
- Both exits come with the US Open just weeks away
For Norrie, the takeaway is more encouraging than the scoreline suggests. Pushing a rising star like Fils to the wire on a quick surface, and saving multiple match points to do so, points to a game rounding into shape at the right moment. The British number two heads to New York with belief intact, even if the result in Montreal did not fall his way. Alexandrova and Fils, meanwhile, carry the momentum of statement wins into the closing stretch of the North American hardcourt swing.
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**Sources:**
– [World number one Sabalenka upset by Alexandrova at Canadian Open — Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/8/9/world-number-one-sabalenka-upset-by-alexandrova-at-canadian-open)
– [National Bank Open: In-form Cam Norrie defeated by Arthur Fils in Montreal while Aryna Sabalenka suffers shock Canadian Open loss — Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/12110/13571288/national-bank-open-in-form-cam-norrie-defeated-by-arthur-fils-in-montreal-while-aryna-sabalenka-suffers-shock-canadian-open-loss)
– [Alexandrova ousts top-seed Sabalenka to reach quarters in Toronto — TSN](https://www.tsn.ca/tennis/video/2026/08/09/alexandrova-ousts-top-seed-sabalenka-to-reach-quarters-in-toronto/)
One accuracy note: the brief’s title places both players in Toronto, but Norrie’s match was actually in **Montreal** — the Canadian Open runs its men’s and women’s draws in the two cities simultaneously. I wrote it accurately; you may want to adjust the headline to “…exit Canadian Open in last 16” (city-neutral, as the summary already is) rather than implying both were in Toronto.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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