Aryna Sabalenka’s journey in Rome has been full of twists and unexpected turns. After coming off from Madrid, she was not only under the weather but also experienced a back injury in her Round 16 clash in Rome. However, “an extra day” is all it took for her to come around and give her best in the tournament. After her latest semifinal victory, Sabalenka shed light on her physical struggles and how she is still recovering from them.

Aryna Sabalenka’s post-match comments after defeating Danielle Collins in the Rome semi-finals reveal a complex mix of emotions. Despite recent illness and injury, she expresses surprise at reaching the final. “After Madrid, I didn’t feel great. I had illness, then I got injured. I kind of surprised that I even was so much stuff going on I was able to made it to the final. Kind of like surprised”. She acknowledged both her compromised physical state and her underlying confidence in her abilities, “At the same time I knew that the level is there. If I start feeling better, I can go to the finals. So it’s like 50/50, you know?”

Sabalenka’s run at Italian Open was tinged with caution. Initially, a back injury had her contemplating withdrawal. She acknowledged the possibility remains, stating she wouldn’t hesitate to retire from the final if her back flared up again. “I was considering retiring from the tournament….Yeah, was a crazy injury. I thought, Okay, I’m done in Rome….Lucky me, I had an extra day. I was doing a lot of recovery.”

It all began when the Australian Open Champion sustained a back injury during her fourth-round clash against Elina Svitolina. As it got worse, the Belarusian had to take a long medical timeout during the match. Nevertheless, after saving 3 match points, she eventually won the match 4-6, 6-1, 7-6. But her back pain persisted, and she had to skip practice to take rest before her semifinal matches. But, as she pointed out, an extra day of rest worked like magic for her.

Sabalenka’s focus is on a full recovery before the French Open. Despite the win and back issue progress this week, the close proximity of the Grand Slam (just over a week away) means she’ll prioritize getting healthy to avoid risking further injury. “I’m still doing lots of exercise, lots of treatments, always taking care of my lower back. It’s getting better. So I guess we’re on the right way,” the World No. 2 continued.

However, she is still taking physiotherapy and doing exercises to ensure she remains fit for her upcoming Roland Garros, which is scheduled later this month. “I’m doing everything myself to recover as fast as I can and to be ready for Paris. Right now, I’m feeling great. I’m not in pain during the matches…But we did a great treatment, great physios.” Sabalenka further added.

Sabalenka also added that if she encounters any pain during her match, she will withdraw from the tournament. Well, the former semifinalist of the French Open wants to conquer her dream of winning her first title in Roland Garros. However, her approach to her physical health in Rome is cautious yet optimistic. “Hopefully it’s not going to happen. I feel like it’s not going to happen. So just stay positive.” And we all hope so as she prepares to take on her old rival in the Italian Open final.

Aryna Sabalenka is going to face Iga Swiatek in the final once again!

It was only a few weeks ago that we saw one of the greatest clashes between the world’s top two WTA players, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, in the Madrid Open final. While Swiatek took her maiden crown in Madrid, the two-time winner in Madrid, Sabalenka, faced a disappointing loss. However, their battle of 3 hours and 11 minutes proved to be one of the most intense final matches in the history of the tournament. But it seems like they are not done as of yet. 

Will the Italian Open be the match where Sabalenka avenges herself? Only time will tell. But as of now, the lead is on Swiatek’s side ( 7-3). This would also be the first meeting between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka in the history of the Italian Open. As both prepare to give their best, we all hope to see the best player win! However, one thing is sure: Aryna Sabalenka’s decision to not retire from the tournament indeed proved to be the right one.