<p>Sugar beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) is a major global crop that supplies nearly one-third of the world’s sugar. Nevertheless, drought stress under climate change increasingly threatens its productivity and long-term sustainability. In response to water deficit, sugar beet activates a coordinated network of physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms that collectively sustain growth and mitigate yield loss. Physiologically, deep and efficient roots enhance water uptake from lower soil layers, while regulated stomatal conductance improves water-use efficiency and carbon assimilation. Biochemically, osmolytes such as proline, glycine betaine, and soluble sugars help maintain turgor and membrane stability. At the same time, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems minimize oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species. At the molecular level, drought induces abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and activates transcription factors such as DREB and HSF families, which regulate genes involved in osmotic adjustment, redox balance, and stress protection. Nevertheless, prolonged or severe drought continues to suppress photosynthesis and biomass accumulation, often leading to yield reductions exceeding 20%. The integration of these multiscale mechanisms provides valuable insight into how sugar beet perceives, regulates, and tolerates drought stress, linking molecular regulation with whole-plant performance and adaptive resilience. Current advances in genomic and biotechnological tools provide a foundation for integrating these insights into breeding programs to enhance sugar beet drought tolerance. While these approaches hold considerable promise, their practical application remains largely at the experimental stage. This review synthesizes recent advances in understanding drought tolerance in sugar beet. It highlights research priorities for applying this knowledge to support sustainable, climate-resilient sugar beet production under intensifying water-limited conditions.</p>