“I can totally understand it”: Aryna Sabalenka addresses empty seats at Roland Garros semifinal

Aryna Sabalenka commented on the atmosphere during her Roland Garros semifinal match against Iga Swiatek, where several empty seats were visible, with Philippe Chatrier at close to 50% capacity. The Belarusian, however, stated she didn't see many empty seats and hopes for a larger turnout in Saturday's final.

During recent seasons, Sabalenka and Swiatek have been the top players on the WTA Tour, almost continuously holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for three seasons and sharing 8 Grand Slam titles between them. Sabalenka – the current No. 1 – defeated the three-time defending champion, who lost a 26-match winning streak at the French Open.

However, the match was not packed as might be expected for an encounter of this magnitude. The match itself didn't disappoint, featuring a three-set battle which the Belarusian ultimately won 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0.

In her press conference, Sabalenka was asked about her opinion on the empty seats seen during her clash with Swiatek, but she said she felt a great atmosphere from inside the court. "It was super loud, people were cheering both of us. I don’t know, I didn’t really see empty seats."

"I think maybe after the second set some people left and I can totally understand it. I don’t know how they are able to sit for so long. But I hope that for the finals it is going to be full, full!"

Sabalenka will face Coco Gauff in the final this Saturday, who defeated tournament surprise Lois Boisson. Currently, they have 10 previous encounters with 5 wins for each, including their last match in the Madrid Open final. This will be their second meeting in a Grand Slam final, after Gauff prevailed in three sets at the 2023 US Open to claim her first major title.