World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s preparations for the French Open have suffered a major setback after she exited the Italian Open at the third round stage on Thursday. The Belarusian suffered a 2-6 6-3 7-5 loss against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in Rome, representing her second loss in just 11 days and her earliest departure since February 2025. The loss is particularly concerning for Sabalenka, who will defend her world ranking at Roland Garros in the coming weeks, after squandered six set 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 suffered a disappointing final loss last year.
A Worrying Streak Broken in Rome
Sabalenka’s loss to Cirstea represents a dramatic collapse in form that will concern the world number one as she heads towards the clay season’s most significant event. The 28-year-old had maintained an remarkable streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals in her preceding 17 straight tournaments, a streak that highlights just how commanding she has proven in the past few months. However, the Rome turned out to be the venue where that impressive record came crashing down, ending 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 wasted several chances throughout the match, including when she won Cirstea’s serve at 5-4 in the final set whilst the Romanian was serving to win. Yet she immediately surrendered that advantage, a pattern of self-sabotage that defined her afternoon in Rome. Coupled with her back problems needing treatment late in the third set, Sabalenka’s display indicated 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 on 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
Previous Problems Come Back
Sabalenka’s physical condition proved to be a notable issue during her third-round match with Cirstea in Rome. The top-ranked player needed a medical time-out late in the third set to tackle issues affecting her lower-back area, a troubling development given the physical demands of clay-court play. The Belarusian’s decision to call the trainer at 4-3 down indicated her pain was affecting her capacity to perform at maximum intensity, especially during crucial moments 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 limiting me from performing on the top level,” she admitted, a worrying acknowledgement with the French Open just weeks away. The back issue raises questions about her fitness 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 troubling was the breakdown of Sabalenka’s serve performance, the very weapon that has defined her climb to world number one. Her serve was lost a striking six times during the match, an exceptionally 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 behind them—a notable decline from her typical performance. Her second serve proved even more problematic, with Sabalenka winning only 11 of 26 points, leaving her vulnerable to Cirstea’s aggressive returns and revealing the weakness that had affected 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 |
Lost Moments Against Cirstea
Sabalenka’s defeat against the retiring Romanian was even more frustrating given the numerous opportunities she wasted throughout the match. The world number one was two sets and a break ahead, situations from which she should have comfortably beaten the veteran 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 should have given her the opportunity to force a deciding moment. However, she promptly gave the advantage back in the following game, a damaging error in focus that was ultimately deciding.
The momentum rapidly shifted in Cirstea’s favour following this crucial mistake. 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 maintain the pressure. Cirstea’s excellent return game restored her lead, and she converted her first 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 could not capitalise on either advantage into victory
- Lost 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 Arrangements in Jeopardy
Sabalenka’s loss to Cirstea constitutes a notable blow in her build-up to the French Open, which occurs in the coming weeks. The loss represents 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 top-ranked player will arrive in Paris with a concerning clay-court record of four wins and two losses—hardly the form one would anticipate from a competitor of her standing heading into one of tennis’s most prestigious events.
The physical strain of the match has also prompted concerns about Sabalenka’s readiness for the gruelling demands of a Grand Slam. She required a medical time-out towards the end of the third set to manage lower back issues, a concerning indicator given the length and intensity of matches typically encountered at Roland Garros. Combined with her second defeat in just three matches, having lost to Hailey Baptiste at Madrid on 28 April after missing six match points, Sabalenka faces growing 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 make amends for her showing in last year’s French Open final, where she endured a devastating defeat to Coco Gauff. In that encounter, she produced a substantial 70 unforced errors in what she herself called “the worst final I ever played.” That defeat still undoubtedly weighs on her mind, and another premature departure from Roland Garros would compound her dismay and cast doubt about her ability to turn her top-ranked ranking into Grand Slam titles on clay.