Overview
- Sorana Cirstea beat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Italian Open third round on Saturday in Rome, earning her first win over a reigning No. 1 in her announced final season.
- Sabalenka took a medical timeout in the decider and later said a lower‑back problem linked to her hip limited her rotation.
- She said she will take a few days off to focus on recovery and hopes to be ready for the French Open, which begins May 24.
- The loss costs Sabalenka 150 ranking points from last year’s Rome result and narrows her live lead over No. 2 Elena Rybakina, with Paris key because Sabalenka defends 1,300 points there to Rybakina’s 240.
- The defeat ends a 14‑month run of 17 straight quarterfinal-or-better finishes, a sharp contrast to her 27‑3 start to 2026 that included titles in Indian Wells and Miami, as experts Jim Courier and Tracy Austin urge rest and express cautious optimism about her fitness.