ROME
Aryna Sabalenka has raised fresh injury concerns ahead of the French Open after revealing that lower back and hip problems affected her during a surprise third-round defeat at the Italian Open.
The world number one suffered a shock 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat against Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea in Rome, marking her second consecutive disappointing tournament after an earlier upset loss to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open.
Sabalenka appeared physically uncomfortable during the deciding set and took a medical timeout after struggling with movement on court. Speaking after the match, the Belarusian admitted that pain in her lower back and hip area limited her ability to rotate fully while striking the ball.
“I’d say it’s probably my lower back connected to the hip, which is limiting my full rotation,” Sabalenka explained after the defeat.
The three-time Grand Slam champion said she now plans to focus entirely on recovery before travelling to Paris for Roland Garros later this month.
“We’re going to take a few days off and focus on recovery,” she added.
Sabalenka started strongly against Cirstea, dominating the opening set and moving 2-0 ahead in the second. However, her level gradually dipped as unforced errors crept into her game, allowing the Romanian to seize momentum.
The top seed acknowledged that her physical condition played a major role in the collapse.
“I felt like my body was limiting me from performing at the highest level,” she said. “She stepped in and played incredible tennis and didn’t really give me many opportunities.”
Despite the disappointing result, Sabalenka attempted to remain positive, describing the defeat as a learning experience rather than a major setback.
Cirstea, meanwhile, maintained composure during the crucial moments of the deciding set and capitalised on Sabalenka’s struggles to secure one of the biggest wins of her recent career.
The latest defeat has intensified scrutiny surrounding Sabalenka’s clay-court form ahead of the French Open, where she is still chasing her maiden singles title.
Back-to-back losses in Madrid and Rome have also raised questions over her consistency and fitness heading into one of the most demanding tournaments of the tennis calendar.
