Sabalenka, on Sinner's defeat: "I felt very bad for him, it was very hard to see him suffer like that"

Carlos Navarro | 28 May 2026 | 21.37

Aryna had no trouble talking about Jannik's fall. Source: Getty

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Day of number ones at Roland Garros 2026... with very different fortunes among them. Aryna Sabalenka fulfilled her established role, acted as a leader and favorite, and dispatched, albeit with some struggle to open the lock, against an impetuous Elsa Jacquemot; Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, was the protagonist of the big upset of the tournament after falling to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo and saying goodbye to his chances of completing the Career Grand Slam on the Parisian clay.

The Italian's physical issues and clear inability to perform at 100% under the sweltering French heat could have been, at the very least, cause for concern for Aryna, who, however, went out to meet expectations. With the third shift looming on Chatrier and the temperatures gradually dropping, the Belarusian went from strength to strength and avoided more surprises on the Central, although she herself acknowledges that the ghost of what happened to Jannik lingered over her for a few minutes. Aryna has a great relationship with the Italian and lavished praise on him in a press conference, acknowledging that she was rooting for him until the end and was shocked to see him struggle so clearly physically.

How Sabalenka experienced Jannik Sinner's fall in Paris

- Feelings after a hard-fought victory against Jacquemot

"I faced a quite tough opponent. It was one of those matches that get complicated, so I'm happy to have closed it in straight sets. I have to say that, of course, even though the crowd was supporting her, I felt they were quite respectful. It was a nice experience to play on Chatrier, even though I was facing a French player. I really enjoyed it, and I'm very happy to progress."

- Moments when she served to win both sets and saw Jacquemot break her serve: how does she recover from such situations?

"I don't remember those moments well, but we're playing on clay. Anything can happen. The serve doesn't give you as big an advantage as on a hard court or grass court, so I was mentally prepared to endure such moments. I was ready to fight for every point. It didn't bother me at all; I was fully prepared to fight and give my all."

- Jannik Sinner's fall, under the eyes of a Sabalenka who was waiting for that match to take the court (she was on the third shift on the Central)

"I felt very bad for him. I always cheer for Jannik, and seeing him suffer like that was quite painful. I believed he was going to win, to the last ball, and hoped he would. I wasn't thinking at all about my schedule and when I was going to play: if my match started later, all good. I was just worried that he couldn't close the match. What happened to him is sad, but I am confident he will come back even stronger. Now is the time, I suppose, to do some recovery, take some rest, and be ready for the grass court season. It's a pity to see him leave the tournament so early."