By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, Might 23, 2025
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Arriving within the Metropolis of Gentle, Aryna Sabalenka is not in the dead of night about her important mission for Roland Garros.
The world No. 1 says her objective is easy: Win her maiden Roland Garros championship.
“I believe at this level of my profession, yeah, it is all about profitable the titles, the large trophies, and I believe it’s important to arrange actually big objectives for your self,” Sabalenka advised the media in Paris at present. “Yeah, possibly typically actually loopy objectives.
Although she’s taking part in for her first French Open last, Sabalenka will not be glad reaching finals nowadays.
“Yeah, I am extra into, like, profitable than simply reaching the finals, as a result of shedding within the last sucks,” Sabalenka stated. “I hate it, in order that’s not the objective for me.”
The 2-time Australian Open champion got here shut final yr wanting robust en path to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. There, a bout with obvious meals poisoning induced abdomen points as Sabalenka fell to 17-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva upset World No. 2 Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 to achieve her first ever profession main semifinal. Sabalenka noticed her 23-set profitable streak on the majors snapped after the almost two and a half hour battle.
Reflecting on that loss to Andreeva, the 2023 semifinalist Sabalenka stated it helped her refine her food plan.
“Properly, I am going to positively not going to go for a similar meal I had earlier than that quarterfinals match. The lesson is realized,” Sabalenka stated. “Since then, we did couple of changes on my meals, and yeah, simply make it possible for it is by no means going to occur once more.
“It isn’t like I’ve the suggestions — not the suggestions, it is not like I’ve this reminiscence from the final yr, however yeah, I am attempting to do every part as proper as potential, make certain nothing gonna occur.”
The reigning US Open champion stated coming shut final yr makes her extra motivated in Paris this yr.
“After all I am super-motivated, as a result of I felt like final yr I used to be actually able to be within the final phases of the match, however yeah, my physique did not actually really feel the identical,” Sabalenka stated. “Yeah, this yr I am motivated greater than I used to be final yr.”
