Aryna Sabalenka shared a heartfelt message on social media following her shocking early exit from the 2026 Italian Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion suffered a third-round defeat to world No. 27 Sorana Cirstea, who battled back to claim a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory at the Foro Italico on Saturday.
Aryna Sabalenka started her campaign by defeating Barbora Krejcikova
Before the loss, Aryna Sabalenka made a strong start to her Rome campaign by defeating 53rd-ranked Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round.
The World No. 1 is still in search of her maiden Italian Open title and now holds a 13-8 win-loss record from eight appearances at the clay-court event. Her best performance in Rome came in 2024, when she finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek.
Following her disappointing loss, Sabalenka took to her social media and wrote, “Not every story ends the way you want, but every chapter teaches you something.” She further wrote, “Rome, thank you for the love. Ciao bella, see you soon.”
Aryna Sabalenka shares major update on her fitness
After the match against Sorana Cirstea, Sabalenka also opened up about not feeling at her best physically during the match.
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“I feel like I didn’t play well from the beginning till the end. I started really well, but then I kind of dropped the level,” Sabalenka explained.
“Felt like my body was limiting me from performing on the highest level. She stepped in and played incredible tennis. Didn’t really give me much opportunities.”
She further said, “I’d say that probably it’s like my lower back, connected to the hip, which kind of like limiting me from the full rotation. I guess we’re just going to have some days off. We’re going to spend it on recovery. That’s the plan I believe for now.”
Sabalenka is likely to miss French Open 2026
Before arriving in Rome, Sabalenka suffered a quarter-final defeat to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open. Despite the recent setbacks, Sabalenka have had an impressive campaign in 2026, compiling a 27-3 record while winning titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami. She also finished runner-up at the Australian Open.
The 28-year-old availability in the French Open 2026,which is scheduled to start on May 24, looks uncertain. Sabalenka will be aiming to capture her maiden title at the prestigious Paris Grand Slam.
Also Read: Novak Djokovic Crashes Out Of Italian Open After Loss To Dino Prizmic
