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Daria Kasatkina’s narrow Madrid Open loss after four missed match points is set to send her to her lowest ranking since 2015.
Daria Kasatkina's difficult start to 2026 has continued at the Madrid Open, with a narrow first-round defeat set to push her to her lowest world ranking in more than a decade.
The Australian representative fell 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (15-13) to Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur, despite holding four match points in a match that lasted two hours and 23 minutes.
The deciding tiebreak, one of the longest on the WTA Tour in recent years, turned only after Kasatkina was unable to convert her chances late.
Kasatkina, who switched allegiance to Australia last year, has struggled to regain consistency following a disrupted period that included time away from the sport and a recent hip injury.
She entered Madrid with a 4-7 record for the season and leaves with another close loss, her second since returning from injury.
The 28-year-old had served for the match at 6-5 in the final set and created multiple opportunities to close it out.
However, Snigur, ranked No.98 and playing her first tour-level match on clay, produced a composed finish, saving match points and delivering a decisive backhand winner under pressure.
The result is expected to see Kasatkina drop to at least world No.83, her lowest ranking since 2015, and to Australian No.5 after previously holding the top national position when she debuted under the flag in April last year.
It was a challenging day overall for Australia's women in Madrid. Talia Gibson lost 6-3, 6-2 to Colombia's Emiliana Arango, while Ajla Tomljanovic and Kim Birrell also exited in the opening round, both beaten by Hungarian opponents.
Attention now shifts to the Australian men's contingent, with Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin and Adam Walton set to begin their campaigns in the main draw.