Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the Dubai Tennis Championships following a straight-sets defeat by world number 38 Clara Tauson.

The Dane advanced to the first WTA 1000 quarter-final of her career, after prevailing 6-3 6-2 in 83 minutes.

Tauson has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, winning in Auckland and reaching the semi-finals in Linz, though she was defeated by Sabalenka in straight sets at the Australian Open.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old built on her early-season momentum, with seven aces and six breaks of serve along the way.

Top seed Sabalenka simply had no answer, as she suffered her third defeat in four matches, while Tauson recorded her first career victory over a world number one.

The 22-year-old's reward for her impressive triumph is a clash against Linda Noskova, who stunned world number six Jessica Pegula in the last round. 

The biggest win of her career!

Clara Tauson defeats the World No.1 Sabalenka in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 and is into the final eight! #DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/WLafeLq8MM

— wta (@WTA) February 19, 2025

Data Debrief: Tauson serves Sabalenka right

Fresh from defeating Elina Svitolina in the previous round, Tauson continued that momentum with another impressive victory here.

The Dane achieved it in emphatic fashion, condemning Sabalenka to five successive losses of serve in a single match for the first time since facing Daria Kasatkina in August 2022.

Tauson also became only the third Scandinavian woman to defeat the world number one, after Caroline Wozniacki and Sofia Arvidsson.