“I was hoping until the very last moment”: Aryna Sabalenka reacts to Sinner’s five-set collapse

Aryna Sabalenka reacted to the elimination of her fellow world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the second round of Roland Garros. Affected by the heat, the Italian ended up being surprisingly eliminated by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, and the Belarusian – female world No. 1 – regretted what happened to the main title favourite in the men’s draw.

The Belarusian described the match as “really painful to see” and said she was “always cheering for Jannik” as the Italian struggled physically after holding a commanding lead.

Against that backdrop, Sabalenka continued her own campaign with a straight-sets win over local player Elsa Jacquemot to reach the third round in Paris. The defending finalist in 2025 recovered from a tight opening set before taking control of the match and closing it 7-5, 6-2.

The 4-time Grand Slam champion had opened her tournament with a routine 6-4, 6-2 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, extending a consistent run at Grand Slam level. Since the start of 2023, Sabalenka has won 72 of her 80 matches in majors. With the win, Sabalenka moves into a third-round meeting with Daria Kasatkina, holding a 7-2 head-to-head advantage.

Sabalenka’s press conference was notably shaped by her reaction to Jannik Sinner’s five-set defeat earlier in the day, a match that saw the Italian lose control after leading by two sets and a double break.

Sinner was leading Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before physically fading and eventually losing 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. The Argentine won 18 of the final 20 games, producing one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament so far.

Sabalenka made clear her emotional reaction to the match, stating she was focused on the outcome rather than her own schedule during the prolonged contest. Her comments reflected concern more than competitive implications, despite the indirect relevance to tournament scheduling.

“I felt so bad for him,” she said in press conference. “I always cheer for Jannik. To see him struggle like that was really painful to see. I was hoping until the very last moment that he would win. I wasn’t really thinking about my schedule—if I start later, it's okay for me.”

“I was just worried he wasn't going to close it and sad for him. I'm pretty sure he's going to come back even stronger. Now it's time for recovery and rest, and he'll be ready for grass. But it’s sad to see him leaving that early.”

On court, Sabalenka also addressed the specifics of her win over Jacquemot, particularly the momentum shifts in the first set. She acknowledged the difficulty of closing out sets on clay, where service advantage is reduced and breaks of serve remain common even at key moments.

“You really have to work for every point, especially on clay. So it's another tough match, but I'm ready to fight. I'm ready to face every condition possible. I'm super excited and ready to bring the fight.”

Looking ahead, Sabalenka faces Daria Kasatkina, a matchup she described as consistently demanding. Despite a favourable head-to-head record (7-2), she stressed she does not rely on previous meetings when preparing for opponents with strong defensive profiles.

“I don't even remember the head-to-head score,” Sabalenka claimed. “She's amazing. It's always challenging playing her, and I never look into previous matches before playing her because it can always be tricky.”

“She’s a fighter, she puts every ball back. You really have to work for every point, especially on clay,” the world No. 1 added. “So it's another tough match, but I'm ready to fight. I'm ready to face every condition possible. I'm super excited and ready to bring the fight.”