By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, Could 23, 2025
Photograph credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Arriving within the Metropolis of Mild, Aryna Sabalenka is not in the dead of night about her important mission for Roland Garros.
The world No. 1 says her purpose is easy: Win her maiden Roland Garros championship.
“I believe at this level of my profession, yeah, it is all about successful the titles, the large trophies, and I believe it’s important to arrange actually big targets for your self,” Sabalenka instructed the media in Paris in the present day. “Yeah, perhaps typically actually loopy targets.
Although she’s enjoying for her first French Open ultimate, Sabalenka is just not happy reaching finals as of late.
“Yeah, I am extra into, like, successful than simply reaching the finals, as a result of shedding within the ultimate sucks,” Sabalenka stated. “I hate it, in order that’s not the purpose for me.”
The 2-time Australian Open champion got here shut final yr trying robust en path to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. There, a bout with obvious meals poisoning precipitated 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 successful streak on the majors snapped after the practically two and a half hour battle.
Reflecting on that loss to Andreeva, the 2023 semifinalist Sabalenka stated it helped her refine her eating regimen.
“Effectively, I am going to undoubtedly not going to go for a similar meal I had earlier than that quarterfinals match. The lesson is discovered,” Sabalenka stated. “Since then, we did couple of changes on my meals, and yeah, simply guarantee that it is by no means going to occur once more.
“It is not like I’ve the suggestions — not the suggestions, it isn’t like I’ve this reminiscence from the final yr, however yeah, I am attempting to do the whole lot as proper as potential, make sure that nothing gonna occur.”
The reigning US Open champion stated coming shut final yr makes her extra motivated in Paris this yr.
“In fact I am super-motivated, as a result of I felt like final yr I used to be actually able to be within the final levels of the event, 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.”
