World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered her second defeat in three matches, losing to Sorana Cirstea in the third round of the Italian Open. The Belarusian previously wasted six match points in a quarterfinal loss to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open on April 28—only her second loss of the year. Just 11 days later, Sabalenka’s French Open preparations took another hit as she fell 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Romania’s world No. 27.
This marks Sabalenka’s earliest elimination since the Dubai Championships in February 2025, ending her streak of reaching the quarterfinals or better in 17 consecutive tournaments. The 28-year-old took a medical timeout late in the third set for treatment on her lower back, but she was below her best for much of the match.
“I feel like I didn’t play well from the beginning till the end,” Sabalenka said. “I felt like my body was limiting me from performing on the highest level.”
The loss leaves Sabalenka heading into the French Open with a 4-2 record on clay this season. She was beaten by Coco Gauff in last year’s Roland Garros final, committing 70 unforced errors in what she described as “the worst final I ever played.”
Sabalenka was twice a set and a break up on the veteran Cirstea, who plans to retire at the end of the season. She also broke the 36-year-old when Cirstea served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, only to hand the advantage back immediately in the next game. Sabalenka’s serve—the most improved part of her game and key to her rise to No. 1—was broken six times throughout the match. She made 72% of her first serves but won just 56% of points behind it and took only 11 of 26 points on her second serve.
Sabalenka showed frustration, slapping at a ball after losing five straight games to concede the second set and fall an immediate break down in the decider. She responded in the next game, but her service games remained shaky, and a wide forehand gave Cirstea a break lead at 3-2. Sabalenka called for the trainer at 4-3 down and had her back stretched. She then appeared to mount a comeback by stopping Cirstea from serving out the match at the first opportunity. However, Cirstea returned brilliantly to regain the lead and converted her first match point as Sabalenka sent a return long.
Earlier, defending champion and home favorite Jasmine Paolini was eliminated 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 by Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
