‘Been on My Radar’ – Chris Evert Reacts After Aryna Sabalenka Is Sent Packing by Ekaterina Alexandrova in Toronto

As Aryna Sabalenka extended her title drought with a defeat against Ekaterina Alexandrova at the 2026 Canadian Open in Toronto, the focus shifted to the Russian, who produced a resilient performance to secure the tournament’s biggest upset.

Alexandrova notably caught the attention of 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Chris Evert, who revealed that she has been keeping a close eye on the World No. 19 beyond her ongoing campaign.

Chris Evert Weighs in After Ekaterina Alexandrova Beats Aryna Sabalenka

Alexandrova, seeded 16 at the WTA 1000 event, opened her campaign in the second round with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win against Camila Osorio. She then staged a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 comeback against Talia Gibson before knocking out Sabalenka with a 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 score in the Round of 16 on Saturday.

This was their tenth career meeting, and with the victory, Alexandrova leveled their head-to-head record at five wins apiece. After a tennis enthusiast named the Russian as one of their regular picks to reach Grand Slam semifinals and backed her to make a deep run despite her previous struggles, Chris Evert endorsed the prediction.

“You’ll be right soon; she’s been on my radar for a while, such a pure striker of the ball…” the American legend said about Alexandrova, who has 21 top-10 wins so far in her career.

Ekaterina Alexandrova has yet to advance beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam. She reached the Round of 16 for the first time at Wimbledon in 2023 and matched that result in 2025 at SW19, as well as at the French Open and US Open. At the Australian Open, meanwhile, her best results remain three third-round appearances, in 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Her success in 2025, highlighted by a fifth career title at the Linz Open and three other finals, propelled her to a career-high ranking of World No. 10. She also made her WTA Finals debut that year. 2026, however, has brought its share of challenges. She suffered several first-round exits and was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open due to a lower-back injury.

After beating Aryna Sabalenka in Toronto, Alexandrova said in her press conference, “It means a lot because this year, it was quite difficult for me. Especially after the last season, which was really good. Maybe the expectations from the last year… they didn’t help me.”

“There were some difficulties with the equipment, with the racket, and there was a lot going on on the court, and it wasn’t helping. In some moments I was really struggling on the court,” she continued.

A few days ago, Alexandrova collapsed on court due to the extreme heat during her opening match against eventual Memphis Open champion Kristina Liutova. After three hours and 11 minutes, with the score at 7-6(2), 4-6, 5-4 (ret.), she was forced to retire and was escorted from the court in a wheelchair. Her victory over the World No. 1, therefore, marked a remarkable turnaround for the player.

“A win like this, it helps so much to gain some kind of confidence that you’re doing the right thing, and maybe that you are on the right path, that everything you’re doing is working, so you just need to continue doing the same thing,” she said.

MORE:‘It Was Really Painful’ – Aryna Sabalenka’s Conqueror Ekaterina Alexandrova Reacts After Staging Toronto Upset

Alexandrova’s best results at WTA 1000 events have been semifinal appearances at the Madrid Open in 2022, the Miami Open in 2024, and the Qatar Open in 2025. She would hope for a deeper run in Toronto as she faces Elina Svitolina in Monday’s quarterfinal.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.