World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for the French Open have suffered a major setback after she crashed out of the Italian Open in the third round on Thursday. The Belarusian sustained a 2-6 6-3 7-5 defeat to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in Rome, representing her second defeat in just 11 days and her earliest departure since February 2025. The loss is particularly concerning for Sabalenka, who will protect her number one status at Roland Garros later this month, after squandered six match points in a quarter-final loss to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open earlier this month. With just four wins and two losses on clay ahead of the French Open, Sabalenka faces mounting pressure to find her peak performance on the surface where she suffered a disappointing final loss last year.
A Concerning Streak Ended in Rome
Sabalenka’s loss to Cirstea represents a sharp deterioration in consistency that will trouble the top-ranked player as she heads towards the clay-court season’s most significant event. The 28-year-old had maintained an remarkable streak of making at least the last eight in her preceding 17 straight tournaments, a run that highlights just how commanding she has proven in recent months. However, the Italian capital proved to be the location where that strong run fell apart, concluding what was a notable stretch of sustained excellence on the professional tour.
The character of the loss compounds Sabalenka’s concerns heading into Paris. She wasted several chances during the match, including when she broke Cirstea’s serve at 5-4 in the deciding set whilst the Romanian was serving for victory. Yet she promptly gave away that lead, a pattern of self-sabotage that characterised her afternoon in Rome. Combined with her back problems needing treatment late in the third set, Sabalenka’s display suggested a player battling on both physical and mental fronts on clay.
- Sabalenka’s serve lost six times during the match against Cirstea
- Won only 56% of points on her first serve in Rome
- Earliest tournament exit since Dubai Championships in February 2025
- Ended 17-event run of quarter-final appearances or better
Bodily Difficulties and Service Issues
Old Issues Emerge Again
Sabalenka’s fitness level proved to be a significant concern during her third-round match with Cirstea in Rome. The top-ranked player required a medical break towards the end of the third set to tackle problems with her lower back, a troubling development given the physical demands of clay-court tennis. The Belarusian’s choice to summon the trainer at 4-3 down indicated her discomfort was affecting her capacity to perform at full intensity, especially during crucial moments when she needed to maintain her aggressive baseline play.
Speaking frankly after the match, Sabalenka admitted that her body had compromised her play throughout the contest. “I felt like my body was limiting me from performing on the highest level,” she admitted, a worrying acknowledgement with the French Open just weeks away. The back issue prompts concerns about her physical condition heading into Roland Garros, where the gruelling nature of best-of-three-set matches on clay demands full bodily dedication and freedom from injury concerns.
Service Analysis
Perhaps most concerning was the breakdown of Sabalenka’s serving ability, the very weapon that has characterised her rise to world number one. Her serve was lost a striking six times throughout the match, an notably high figure for a player of her calibre. Whilst she made 72 per cent of her first serves, she won just 56 per cent of points on those serves—a significant drop from her usual standards. Her second delivery proved even more troublesome, with Sabalenka winning only 11 of 26 points, leaving her vulnerable to Cirstea’s aggressive returns and revealing the weakness that had plagued her performance from opening to closing.
| Statistic | Performance |
|---|---|
| First serve percentage | 72% |
| Points won behind first serve | 56% |
| Points won behind second serve | 42% (11 of 26) |
| Service breaks conceded | 6 |
Squandered Opportunities Against Cirstea
Sabalenka’s defeat against the departing Romanian was all the more frustrating given the many chances she squandered throughout the contest. The world number one was two sets and a break ahead, positions from which she could have easily beaten the 36-year-old Cirstea. In particular, at 5-4 in the third set, Sabalenka broke Cirstea’s serve when the Romanian was serving for the match—a crucial moment that would have provided her the opportunity to secure victory. However, she immediately handed the lead away in the very next game, a costly lapse in concentration that was ultimately deciding.
The momentum rapidly shifted in Cirstea’s favour following this critical error. Sabalenka then lost five games in succession, a downturn that saw her visibly frustrated, slapping at a ball in irritation as her composure evaporated. Despite showing signs of a potential comeback when she broke Cirstea again whilst the Romanian served for the match at 5-4, Sabalenka could not sustain the momentum. Cirstea’s excellent return game restored her lead, and she converted her opening match point when Sabalenka’s return sailed long, ending the Belarusian’s hopes of salvaging the contest.
- Twice led by a set and break but failed to convert either advantage into victory
- Dropped five straight games whilst serving to stay in the second set
- Broke Cirstea at 5-4 in the third but immediately lost her own serve thereafter
French Open Preparations in Doubt
Sabalenka’s defeat against Cirstea represents a significant setback in her build-up to the French Open, which occurs later this month. The loss marks her earliest exit from a competition since the Dubai Championships in February 2025, concluding an impressive streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals in 17 straight events. With only a fortnight left before Roland Garros, the top-ranked player will come in Paris with a troubling record on clay of four victories and two defeats—hardly the performance one would anticipate from a competitor of her standing approaching one of tennis’s most prestigious events.
The physical strain of the match has also prompted concerns about Sabalenka’s preparation for the punishing demands of a major championship. She needed a medical break late in the third set to tackle back problems, a worrying sign given the length and intensity of matches typically encountered at Roland Garros. Coupled with her second defeat in just three matches, having lost to Hailey Baptiste at Madrid on 28 April after squandering six match points, Sabalenka confronts growing pressure to reclaim her best form quickly if she is to contend for the title this month.
Last Year’s Setback
Sabalenka will be determined to make amends for her performance in the previous year’s French Open final, where she sustained a crushing defeat to Coco Gauff. In that match, she made a remarkable 70 unforced errors in what she herself called “the worst final I ever played.” That result still undoubtedly weighs on her mind, and another premature departure from Roland Garros would compound her frustration and prompt concerns about her ability to turn her world number one ranking into major championship wins on clay.