Aryna Sabalenka improves an outstanding statistic with battling Italian Open win
Aryna Sabalenka earned a battling comeback win over Sofia Kenin in the third round of the 2025 Italian Open to continue her dominant form.
The world No 1 prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 against 31st-ranked Kenin after two hours and 13 minutes on Centre Court at the Foro Italico.
Sabalenka was broken three consecutive times to lose the opening set as she won just 41% of points on her first serve.
The Belarusian responded by breaking her 26-year-old American three times in the second set, before fighting through the third set.
The 23 break points Sabalenka had on Kenin’s serve is the most she has generated in a WTA Tour match and marks only the second time she has created more than 20.
In her on-court interview, Sabalenka admitted: “I was going really tough on myself.”
“It was a tough match — she played incredible tennis in the first set. It was a great fight and super happy to get this match.”
Sabalenka has extended her winning streak to eight matches — a run featuring two victories in Rome and six from her Madrid Open title run.
The 27-year-old has won 33 matches in 2025, which is the most on the WTA Tour.
This is the highest number of wins Sabalenka has ever recorded before the French Open in a season.
Since the beginning of 2024, Sabalenka has the most wins at WTA 1000 tournaments after losing the first set, having amassed an impressive 9-7 record from a set down.
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The three-time Grand Slam champion will face world No 27 Marta Kostyuk in the last 16 in Rome.
It is a rematch of the pair’s thrilling quarter-final clash in Madrid last month, where Sabalenka won in two tiebreaks. Sabalenka leads the head-to-head with the 22-year-old Ukrainian 3-0.
Sabalenka is chasing her maiden title in Rome, having been a runner-up at the WTA 1000 tournament last year.
The Belarusian star has established herself as the clear favourite to win her first French Open crown ahead of her rival Iga Swiatek. She was also a runner-up in Stuttgart prior to her Madrid triumph.
Swiatek, the world No 2 and defending Roland Garros champion, was upset by Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open in a result that compounded her struggles in 2025.
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