Elena Rybakina was defeated by Victoria Mboko in three sets as her journey at the Qatar Open ended at the quarter-final stage.
Mboko made Qatar Open history by defeating Rybakina, but the Australian Open champion missed out on the chance to become world number two.
Rybakina needed to reach the final of the Qatar Open to reach World No. 2 status for the first time in her career, after Iga Swiatek fell at the last eight.
Rybakina’s loss continued a remarkable stretch of results that dates all the way back to 2013 as the two-time Grand Slam champion stayed on trend.
Elena Rybakina becomes the 13th straight Australian Open champion to lose their next tournament
Rybakina’s failure to follow up her Australian Open victory with another tournament win is a familiar trend on the WTA Tour.
The Kazakhstani star joins 12 other consecutive players who were unable to win their next tournament after lifting the trophy in Melbourne.
Madison Keys, Aryna Sabalenka, Ashleigh Barty, Naomi Osaka, Sofia Kenin, Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, and Li Na have all won the Australian Open and lost their next tournament since 2013.
Who wins more Grand Slams in their career – Elena Rybakina or Aryna Sabalenka?
The last player to win the trophy in Melbourne and follow it up with another tournament victory was Victoria Azarenka in 2013.
Azarenka defeated Li Na in the final of the Australian Open and then jetted off to the Middle East to defeat Serena Williams to win the Qatar Open.
Considering the dominance of some of the players who have not managed it, Rybakina’s loss in Qatar does not seem that much of a surprise anymore.
Elena Rybakina joined elite company despite Qatar Open exit
Rybakina has previously impressed in WTA events in the Middle East and she joined an elite list by reaching the Qatar Open quarter-finals.
The star’s appearance in the last eight of the competition against Mboko was her 10th quarter-final in the Middle East.
Is Rybakina the best player on the WTA Tour right now?
If not, who is better?
Only three other WTA stars have managed the feat and they are all previous winners of Grand Slam events.
Rybakina joined Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska, and Jelena Jankovic by achieving double figure quarter-final appearances at the Qatar Open.
