Elina Svitolina may have won the Italian Open last night, but it was Aryna Sabalenka who will feel like a winner having watched her run to the title.
After all, if anything, it has proven to her just how winnable Roland Garros is for her, another big ball-striker, and arguably the biggest on the WTA Tour.
Naturally, the Ukrainian will fancy herself as a threat at that upcoming Grand Slam, and justifiably so.
In fact, even Tim Henman insisted that Svitolina must now challenge for majors after this run of form.
However, it will take something special to bypass Aryna Sabalenka, who will surely see her chances boosted after how the 31-year-old made her way to the trophy in Rome.
Aryna Sabalenka will have loved watching Elina Svitolina’s run to the Italian Open title
After all, Elina Svitolina had to topple the fourth, third and second-best players in the world to snag the title, beating Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in consecutive matches.
It marks a hugely impressive feat, and one of the great tournament runs.
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However, it also proves that powerful ball-striking can outperform all three of these elite players, all of whom will have been seen as favourites at the French Open.
Given Sabalenka does what Svitolina does, but with another added level of power, there’s cause for immense optimism, not just that she’d be able to beat them, but that anybody can before she is even forced to face them.
The only worry for the Belarusian is her recent injury concern, as she exited the Italian Open. Fortunately, Sabalenka recently offered a fitness update.
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Chatting at her press conference after suffering a shock defeat to Sorana Cirstea, it’s worth noting that the world number one had been struggling throughout the match.
Forced to take a medical time-out and seek attention to her back, many feared for her fitness ahead of Roland Garros, where she was a finalist last year.
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And, she hardly assuaged those worries with her words, admitting: “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 just going to have some days off. We’re going to spend it on recovery. That’s the plan I believe for now.”
