The ‘Tiger‘ takes on the ‘Giant-Slayer‘ in the fourth round (R16) of the 2024 French Open. Aryna Sabalenka is currently 10-0 in Grand Slam tournaments and 20-0 in sets this year. She looks absolutely unstoppable at the moment in Paris. Whereas, Emma Navarro recently defeated Madison Keys (12) in the third round of the tournament to secure his spot in the fourth round of a major for the very first time in her career. Can she extend the run further by completing a mammoth task on Monday (June 3)?

Well, if she somehow manages to defeat Aryna Sabalenka in her next match, then it’ll not only be a major achievement in her career but also a major upset in the tournament. The world number 2 is regarded as one of the potential favorites to win this year’s tournament. Sabalenka has already won a big title this year and has reached three finals and one QF in her previous tournaments. Emma Navarro has also won a title this year in Hobart. Apart from that, she has also reached one final, two SFs, and two QFs this season. It’ll be interesting how the 23-year-old rising star approaches this match against the Belarusian superstar.

Aryna Sabalenka vs Emma Navarro: Preview

Aryna Sabalenka defeated her best friend, Paula Badosa, in her previous match by 7-5,6-1. Surprisingly, the Belarusian tennis star failed to hit even a single ace in that match but she committed on double fault against the Spaniard. She won 63% of her service games and 53% of her return games in the third-round clash. Sabalenka managed to convert seven of her eighteen breakpoints against Badosa.

She has had an outstanding season so far and we take a closer look at her numbers from this season, Aryna Sabalenka has hammered 152 aces and committed 100 double faults. The world number 2, has won 78.5% of her service games and 36.5% of her return games. Will it be a stroll in the park for the ‘Tiger’ against the cool, calm, and collective American?

Emma Navarro defeated Madison Keys by 7-6(5),7-6(3) in her previous match. She hit two aces and committed an equal number of double faults in that match. Her first serve win percentage was 66% while it was just around 40% on the second serve. Navarro converted four of her nine breakpoints against Keys.

The world number 24, has hit only 39 aces so far this season but she has committed quite a few double faults (66) as of now. She needs to be at her absolute best and reduce the errors to challenge a player like Sabalenka. Emma Navarro has won 68.3% of her service games and 41.2% of her return games in this season.

Sabalenka vs Navarro: Head-to-Head

Both the players have met each other only once in their careers so far. Emma Navarro earned her first triumph over Top 5 when they met each other last time at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. So, she knows a way or two to put the best in the game a little off-guarded. However, this is a much bigger stage and Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to clinch her first title at the Roland Garros. So defeating her when she is in this destroying mood will be a really tough ask.

If we look at the numbers from their previous match, Emma Navarro hit two aces and committed just a single double fault in the entire match. While Aryna Sabalenka hit four aces and committed four double faults. The American won 67% of her first serve and 53% of her second serve. It was 62% and 70% respectively for the Belarusian. Aryna Sabalenka converted just two of her six breakpoints, but Emma Navarro converted four of her five breakpoints. The result of the match is going to depend on how well Navarro converts her chances against her mighty opponent.

Prediction: Sabalenka to win in straight sets

Looking at the current form of Aryna Sabalenka, she looks to be having a clear edge in this epic contest. She has a win-loss record of 25-7 in this season and her best record in this tournament came in 2023 when she reached the semis. Emma Navarro, on the other hand, is more than just a challenger and she has proven it previously. She has a win-loss record of 30-12 this season and this is her longest run at this event.

Sabalenka comes up with an aggressive brand of tennis accumulating a high number of winners and unforced errors. She has a powerful serve and equally venomous groundstrokes. Recently, she has also been spotted deceiving her opponents with her incredible drop shots. Her opponent, Emma Navarro has a very compact style of play. She has solid groundstrokes in her armory and her heavy topspin forehand is a perfect weapon on this surface. But is it enough to outclass Aryna Sabalenka? No, but Navarro will get the chance to learn a lot from this match.