LONDON — Last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini became the latest top-10 seed to suffer an early exit at this year's Championships, falling in straight sets to unseeded Bianca Andreescu. Meanwhile, world number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame a spirited challenge from Emma Navarro to advance, putting the tournament's record number of upsets firmly out of her mind.
Paolini's dream run ends abruptly
The seventh-seeded Italian, who reached both the French Open and Wimbledon finals in 2024, saw her grass-court campaign cut short by former US Open champion Andreescu 6-4, 6-2 in just 78 minutes. "I didn't play my best tennis today," a disappointed Paolini admitted afterward. "Bianca was very aggressive and didn't give me many chances. After Roland Garros, I didn't have much time to prepare for grass."
Paolini's exit continues a startling trend at this year's Wimbledon:
- Five of the top 10 women's seeds fell in the first three rounds
- Defending champion Marketa Vondrousova lost in the first round
- 2022 champion Elena Rybakina was eliminated in the second round
Sabalenka survives Navarro test
While other top seeds faltered, Sabalenka showed her championship mettle in a 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 victory over American Emma Navarro. The Belarusian fired 12 aces and 42 winners in the two-hour, 15-minute battle on Centre Court.
"I'm not thinking about other players' results," Sabalenka said when asked about the tournament's upsets. "Every match is tough here. Emma played incredible tennis today - I just had to focus on my game and fight for every point."
Turning point
The match pivoted in the third set when Sabalenka saved three break points at 3-3, then broke Navarro in the next game with a series of punishing groundstrokes. The world number one's experience in big moments proved decisive as she served out the match at love.
The upset trend continues
This Wimbledon has already seen more top-10 women's seeds lose before the fourth round than in any previous edition (since seedings began in 1927). The carnage includes:
- No. 3 Coco Gauff (second round)
- No. 5 Jessica Pegula (first round)
- No. 8 Zheng Qinwen (third round)
Only Sabalenka and No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina remain from the top eight seeds entering the second week. "It shows the depth in women's tennis right now," Sabalenka observed. "Anyone can beat anyone if you're not at your best."
Looking ahead
Sabalenka will face Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round, while Andreescu takes on French Open semifinalist Mirra Andreeva. The bottom half of the draw is now wide open, with only one seeded player remaining in that section.
Former champion Chris Evert commented on ESPN: "This is the most unpredictable Wimbledon I can remember. The pressure seems to be getting to the favorites, while players with nothing to lose are swinging freely."
Sabalenka remains the clear favorite, but as she acknowledged: "There are no easy matches left. Every opponent will give everything to beat the number one." The Belarusian is seeking her second Grand Slam title of the year after winning the Australian Open in January.
With the tournament's upset trend showing no signs of slowing, all eyes will be on whether Sabalenka can maintain her focus and power through to the final. As for Paolini, her early exit marks the end of a remarkable 12-month period that saw her rise from outside the top 50 to a Grand Slam finalist.
"I'm proud of what I've achieved," Paolini reflected. "Now I need some rest before preparing for the hardcourt season and defending my US Open points." The Italian reached the quarterfinals in New York last year as an unseeded player.