Looking very much like the World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka
moved into the second week at Roland Garros with a composed 6-2, 6-3 win over Olga Danilovic
.
Sabalenka has dropped only 10 games in four matches, and 32 of her 37 victories this year have come in straight sets.
On Sunday, she’ll play No. 16 Amanda Anisimova
in a fourth-round match. Anisimova, a former French Open semifinalist, was a 7-6 (4), 6-4 winner over No. 22 Clara Tauson
.
Speaking afterward, Sabalenka noted that the warmer weather made for a different challenge on court.
“The ball flies much faster,” she said. “The bounces are much higher. You have to adjust your racquet, which actually I didn’t, and it felt much better.”
Roland Garros: Scores | Order of play | Draw
Sabalenka is the only player to have reached the Round of 16 at the Australian Open and Roland Garros over the past three years; Coco Gauff
can equal that feat on Saturday.
Serving, as usual, was the difference. Sabalenka broke Danilovic five times, three more than her opponent managed. Sabalenka hit 17 winners, countered by 15 unforced errors. Danilovic’s numbers were 18 and, ultimately, a fatal 26.
Danilovic was attempting to match her best result in Paris (and at any Grand Slam), but Sabalenka had other ideas. This was the first time the 24-year-old Serbian had faced the No. 1-ranked player, and it was evident early on. Sabalenka raced out to a 5-0 lead before Danilovic applied the brakes.
She held for 5-1 and broke Sabalenka’s serve to narrow it to 5-2. She was up 40-15, but Sabalenka came back, converting her second set point when Danilovic double-faulted.
The second set was more competitive, but breaks in the fourth and eighth games gave Sabalenka the upper hand.
“Well, game-wise, she definitely has everything to be in Top 20, Top 10,” Sabalenka said of her opponent. “It’s all about if mentally she’ll be ready to handle all of the pressure and she’ll be ready to stay there and fight.
“I mean, doesn’t matter what the score was, but it was a tough match. It was a fight.”
It was a warm, bright day in Paris, and Sabalenka took charge of every detail, from the scoreline to the shade, giving instructions to the ball kids during changeovers before sealing the win with little fuss.
Sabalenka has already won three titles this year — Brisbane, Miami and Madrid – and has reached six finals, the most entering Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2013. She’ll remain No. 1 for the 33rd consecutive week after the tournament, regardless of the result.
This was Sabalenka’s 50th major win since 2023, 11 more than the next-best total, belonging to Iga Swiatek
. They had been No. 1 and No. 2 for an uninterrupted period of more than three years, but when Swiatek exited early in Rome, she fell to No. 5 in the rankings.
Instead of the final we’ve grown accustomed to seeing them play, Sabalenka and Swiatek could meet in next week’s semifinal.
