World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for the French Open have suffered a major setback after she exited 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 loss in just 11 days and her earliest exit since February 2025. The loss is particularly concerning for Sabalenka, who will protect her number one status at Roland Garros later this month, having already squandered six set points in a quarter-final defeat to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open in the preceding weeks. With just four wins and two losses on clay ahead of the French Open, Sabalenka is under increasing pressure to find her peak performance on the surface where she endured a disappointing final defeat last year.
A Troubling Run Ended in Rome
Sabalenka’s defeat against Cirstea represents a dramatic collapse in form that will concern the world number one as she heads towards the clay-court season’s most significant tournament. The 28-year-old had maintained an impressive run of reaching at least the quarter-finals in her preceding 17 consecutive tournaments, a run that underscores just how commanding she has been in recent months. However, the Rome proved to be the venue where that impressive record fell apart, concluding what had been a notable stretch of sustained excellence on the professional tour.
The nature of the loss compounds Sabalenka’s concerns heading into Paris. She squandered several chances during the match, including when she won Cirstea’s serve at 5-4 in the final set whilst the Romanian was serving for victory. Yet she immediately surrendered that advantage, a pattern of self-sabotage that characterised her afternoon in Rome. Combined with her back problems requiring medical attention late in the third set, Sabalenka’s display suggested a player struggling both physically and mentally on clay.
- Sabalenka’s serve broken six times in the contest against Cirstea
- Won only 56% of points behind her first serve in Rome
- Earliest tournament exit since Dubai Championships in February 2025
- Ended 17-tournament run of quarter-final appearances or better
Bodily Difficulties and Service Problems
Old Issues Emerge Again
Sabalenka’s physical condition proved to be a significant concern during her third-round encounter with Cirstea in Rome. The top-ranked player required a medical time-out towards the end of the third set to address issues affecting her lower-back area, a troubling development given the physical rigours of clay-court play. The Belarusian’s choice to summon the trainer at 4-3 down indicated her discomfort was affecting her capacity to perform at full intensity, particularly in critical points when she needed to sustain her aggressive baseline game.
Speaking frankly after the match, Sabalenka acknowledged that her body had hindered her performance throughout the contest. “I felt like my body was holding me back from performing on the highest level,” she admitted, a concerning admission with the French Open approaching rapidly. The back issue raises questions about her physical condition heading into Roland Garros, where the demanding character of best-of-three-set matches on clay demands complete physical commitment and freedom from injury concerns.
Service Breakdown
Perhaps most concerning was the breakdown of Sabalenka’s serving ability, the very weapon that has shaped her climb to world number one. Her serve was broken a striking six times during the match, an exceptionally high figure for a player of her level. Whilst she made 72 per cent of her first serves, she won just 56 per cent of points behind them—a considerable fall 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 form 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 |
Missed Chances Facing Cirstea
Sabalenka’s capitulation against the retiring Romanian was even more frustrating given the numerous opportunities she squandered throughout the contest. The world number one was twice a set and a break ahead, positions from which she could have easily beaten the 36-year-old Cirstea. Most notably, at 5-4 in the third set, Sabalenka broke her opponent’s serve when the Romanian was serving to win the match—a critical juncture that would have provided her the opportunity to force a deciding moment. However, she promptly gave the lead away in the following game, a damaging error in concentration that was ultimately deciding.
The momentum quickly shifted in Cirstea’s favour following this critical error. Sabalenka then lost five games in succession, a collapse that saw her visibly frustrated, slapping at a ball in irritation as her control evaporated. Despite showing signs of a possible recovery 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 ahead by a set and break but failed to convert either advantage into victory
- Dropped five straight games whilst attempting to hold in the second set
- Broke Cirstea at 5-4 in the third but promptly surrendered her own serve thereafter
French Open Planning in Doubt
Sabalenka’s loss to Cirstea represents a significant setback in her preparations for the French Open, which takes place in the coming weeks. The loss marks her quickest departure from a competition since the Dubai Championships in February 2025, ending an remarkable run of reaching at least the quarter-finals in 17 consecutive tournaments. With only a fortnight left before Roland Garros, the world number one will come in Paris with a troubling record on clay of four victories and two defeats—hardly the performance one would expect from a player of her calibre heading into one of tennis’s most prestigious events.
The physical toll of the match has also sparked concerns about Sabalenka’s preparation for the demanding demands of a Grand Slam. She required a medical time-out late in the third set to manage lower back issues, a concerning indicator given the intensity and length of matches commonly seen at Roland Garros. Combined with her second loss in just three matches, having fallen to Hailey Baptiste at Madrid on 28 April after squandering six match points, Sabalenka faces mounting pressure to reclaim her best form quickly if she is to contend for the title this month.
Last Year’s Disappointment
Sabalenka will be determined to make amends for her display in the previous year’s French Open final, where she endured a crushing defeat to Coco Gauff. In that encounter, she committed a staggering 70 unforced errors in what she herself described as “the worst final I ever played.” That result still evidently weighs on her mind, and another early exit from Roland Garros would increase her dismay and cast doubt about her ability to translate her top-ranked ranking into Grand Slam success on clay.