Sabalenka Faces Rising Pressure Ahead of French Open Challenge

Posted : 19 May 2026

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka began the clay-court season looking nearly unstoppable, but recent results have exposed vulnerabilities ahead of her latest bid for a maiden French Open title. The four-time Grand Slam champion arrives in Paris hoping to improve on last year’s runner-up finish at Roland Garros, where she lost a three-set final to Coco Gauff.

Although Sabalenka still holds a significant lead at the top of the rankings, her dominance has weakened in recent weeks. Her season started strongly with titles at Indian Wells and Miami, completing the prestigious Sunshine Double after winning three of her opening four tournaments of the year. Her only setback during that stretch came in the Australian Open final, where she was beaten by Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka carried a 15-match winning streak into Madrid and appeared well positioned to capture another clay title. However, her momentum stalled after a quarterfinal defeat to Hailey Baptiste in Spain. Things worsened in Rome, where she suffered an early exit against Sorana Cirstea in the third round. After the loss, Sabalenka admitted physical limitations had affected her performances.

The Belarusian later reflected on the setback positively, insisting defeats provide opportunities to learn. Still, her recent struggles have made the women’s draw in Paris feel more unpredictable than ever.

Rybakina remains one of the leading contenders after defeating Sabalenka twice in major matches over the past year, including the WTA Finals and Australian Open final. Despite limited success historically at Roland Garros, the Kazakh star has enjoyed another strong campaign and claimed the Stuttgart title earlier this season.

Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek is also expected to challenge strongly in Paris. The Polish star, widely regarded as one of the best clay-court players of her generation, has shown signs of rediscovering the form that helped her win four French Open crowns. Swiatek will hope her partnership with former Rafael Nadal coach Francisco Roig can reignite her dominance on clay.

Defending champion Gauff enters the tournament with confidence after an impressive run in Rome, where she finished runner-up to Elina Svitolina. The Ukrainian veteran arrives in Paris in excellent form after winning two titles this season, including her first WTA 1000 crown in eight years at the Italian Open.

Svitolina said her triumph in Rome boosted her confidence heading into Roland Garros but warned that the competition would be fierce from the opening round. She stressed that every player in the draw would be dangerous and capable of producing difficult battles.

Several outsiders could also make deep runs in Paris, including Madrid Open champion Marta Kostyuk, teenage prospects Mirra Andreeva, Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko, along with Amanda Anisimova, as the battle for the women’s title intensifies in Paris.

Sabalenka Faces Rising Pressure Ahead of French Open Challenge

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