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Aryna Sabalenka confirmed as the only player to achieve impressive feat in 2026 after Coco Gauff’s Wuhan Open withdrawal

Aryna Sabalenka has emerged as the sole WTA player to successfully defend a major title in 2026, a distinction that now stands unchallenged after Coco Gauff’s withdrawal from the Wuhan Open. The Belarusian star secured her place in the record books by retaining her Miami Open crown in March, completing the Sunshine Double and marking her only WTA 1000 or Grand Slam title defense of the year.

Despite falling short in her bid to repeat as US Open champion—losing the final to Elena Rybakina—she remains the only player to have reached the final of a tournament she was defending at this level. Gauff, who won Wuhan last season, announced her absence due to fatigue, leaving Sabalenka as the lone athlete to have both defended a top-tier title and advanced to a final while doing so this year.

Meanwhile, other defending champions have struggled, with Amanda Anisimova retiring early in her Qatar Open defense and Iga Świątek falling in the Cincinnati Open semifinals. Rybakina, the reigning WTA Finals champion, faces an uphill battle to defend that title, as no previous year’s winner has succeeded in the past decade, and her recent foot injury adds further uncertainty to her campaign.

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