World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for the French Open have suffered a major setback after she crashed out of the Italian Open at the third round stage on Thursday. The Belarusian suffered a 2-6 6-3 7-5 defeat to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in Rome, marking her second loss in just 11 days and her earliest exit since February 2025. The loss is especially worrying for Sabalenka, who will defend her world ranking 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 rediscover her best form on the surface where she endured a disappointing final defeat last year.
A Concerning Streak Ended in Rome
Sabalenka’s defeat against Cirstea signifies a sharp deterioration in form that will trouble the world number one as she heads towards the clay-court season’s most important event. The 28-year-old had maintained an remarkable streak of making at least the quarter-finals in her previous 17 straight tournaments, a run that underscores just how dominant she has been in recent months. However, the Rome proved to be the location where that strong run came crashing down, ending what had been a remarkable period of sustained excellence on the professional circuit.
The nature of the loss compounds Sabalenka’s worries approaching Paris. She wasted several chances during the match, including when she won Cirstea’s serve at 5-4 in the deciding set whilst the Romanian was serving to win. Yet she promptly gave away that lead, a cycle of self-defeat that defined her afternoon in Rome. Combined with her back problems requiring medical attention towards the end of the third set, Sabalenka’s performance 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 behind her first serve in Rome
- Earliest tournament exit since Dubai event in February 2025
- Ended 17-tournament run of quarter-final appearances or better
Physical Challenges and Service Problems
Past Concerns Come Back
Sabalenka’s fitness level proved to be a significant concern during her third-round encounter with Cirstea in Rome. The world number one required a medical break late in the third set to address problems with her lower back, a concerning turn of events given the physical demands of clay-court tennis. The Belarusian’s decision to call the trainer at 4-3 down suggested her pain was impacting her capacity to perform at maximum intensity, particularly in critical points when she needed to sustain her aggressive baseline play.
Speaking openly after the match, Sabalenka admitted that her body had hindered her play throughout the contest. “I felt like my body was holding me back from performing on the highest level,” she admitted, a worrying acknowledgement with the French Open approaching rapidly. The back issue prompts concerns about her fitness heading into Roland Garros, where the gruelling nature of best-of-three-set matches on clay demands complete physical commitment and absence of injury worries.
Serve Breakdown
Perhaps most worrying was the breakdown of Sabalenka’s serve performance, the very weapon that has defined her climb to world number one. Her serve was broken a striking six times throughout the match, an notably high figure for a player of her standard. Whilst she made 72 per cent of her first serves, she won just 56 per cent of points on those serves—a considerable fall from her normal level. Her second serve proved particularly problematic, with Sabalenka winning only 11 of 26 points, exposing her to Cirstea’s aggressive returns and exposing the vulnerability that had plagued her form from start to finish.
| 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 Against Cirstea
Sabalenka’s defeat against the departing Romanian was even more frustrating given the numerous opportunities she wasted throughout the contest. The top-ranked player was twice a set and a break ahead, situations from which she should have comfortably beaten the 36-year-old Cirstea. In particular, at 5-4 in the final set, Sabalenka broke her opponent’s serve when the Romanian was serving for the match—a critical juncture that would have provided her the opportunity to secure victory. However, she immediately handed the lead away in the following game, a costly lapse in focus 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 control 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 chances of saving the contest.
- Twice ahead 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 promptly surrendered her own serve thereafter
French Open Planning in Peril
Sabalenka’s defeat against Cirstea represents a notable blow in her build-up to the French Open, which occurs in the coming weeks. The loss marks her earliest exit from a competition since the Dubai Championships in February 2025, concluding an remarkable run of making the quarter-finals in 17 straight events. With only two weeks remaining before Roland Garros, the world number one will arrive in Paris with a concerning clay-court record 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 toll of the match has also raised concerns about Sabalenka’s preparation for the punishing demands of a Grand Slam. She needed a medical time-out late in the third set to tackle lower back issues, a concerning indicator given the intensity and length of matches commonly seen at Roland Garros. Combined with her second defeat in just three matches, having fallen to Hailey Baptiste at Madrid on 28 April after missing six match points, Sabalenka confronts mounting pressure to rediscover her best form quickly if she is to contend for the title this month.
Last Year’s Disappointment
Sabalenka will be determined to atone for her performance in last year’s French Open final, where she suffered a devastating defeat to Coco Gauff. In that contest, she produced a substantial 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 premature departure from Roland Garros would compound her dismay and cast doubt about her capability to turn her top-ranked ranking into Grand Slam success on clay.