The 16th-seeded Alexandrova needed nearly two and a half hours to complete the upset and book her place in the quarter-finals.
Match Summary
Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion and defending US Open title holder, made a strong start by breaking early in the opening set. However, Alexandrova recovered to force a tiebreak, which she claimed comfortably to take the first set.
The Belarusian responded with authority in the second set, breaking for a 4-3 lead and serving out the set to level the match.
In the decisive third set, Alexandrova’s aggressive baseline play began to tell. Sabalenka’s error count rose under pressure, and while she saved two match points when serving at 4-5, a double fault on the third handed the Russian a memorable victory.
Alexandrova’s Reaction
Speaking after the match, Alexandrova said: “I just tried to play every single point as if it was the last one because with her, you don’t get a lot of chances during the match. Honestly, I was trying not to think about the score or anything. Just hit the ball, and that’s it.
“I’m super happy that I could win because after the second set, I thought the chance was already past me.”
Alexandrova will next face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova.
The defeat ends Sabalenka’s campaign in Toronto and presents a challenge as she turns her focus towards defending her US Open title later this month.