Lead

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has expressed concern about a lower back and hip problem after a third-round exit at the Italian Open in Rome, casting doubt on her preparations for the French Open, which begins on May 24.

Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, called for a medical timeout late in her match against Romania's Sorana Cirstea before falling 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. It was her second defeat in three matches, following a quarterfinal loss to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open last month.

"I feel like I didn't play well from the beginning till the end. I started really well, but I dropped the level," Sabalenka said, as reported by both ABC Australia and Al Jazeera. "I felt like my body was limiting me from performing at the highest level."

Coverage Comparison

Both ABC Australia and Al Jazeera covered the match, with slight differences in emphasis. ABC Australia focused on Sabalenka's injury concern and her disappointing clay-court swing, while Al Jazeera highlighted Cirstea's upset victory and the Romanian's emotional reaction.

ABC Australia reported Sabalenka said the issue was "my lower back, connected to the hip, which limited my full" performance, though the sentence trails off in the available text. Al Jazeera noted Sabalenka appeared "visibly frustrated" and her display was "uncharacteristically sloppy," adding descriptive detail to the report.

Key Claims

  • Injury concern: Sabalenka said she has a lower back and hip problem, which both sources confirm. The injury limited her during the match, and she sought treatment.
  • Match result: Sabalenka lost to Sorana Cirstea 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, a scoreline confirmed by Al Jazeera. ABC Australia also reported the same score, though Al Jazeera's account initially reversed the first set numbers before correcting them in the narrative.
  • Cirstea's milestone: Al Jazeera reported that the 36-year-old Cirstea, who is playing her final professional season, earned her first career victory over a world number one. ABC Australia did not mention these details in the provided text.
  • Sabalenka's season: ABC Australia noted that Sabalenka's clay-court struggles follow a strong hardcourt season, where she won the Brisbane title, reached the Australian Open final, and claimed back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Al Jazeera also referenced this, though its text cuts off mid-sentence.
  • Other Italian Open results: Al Jazeera reported that Jannik Sinner won his match against Sebastian Ofner 6-3, 6-4, and that defending champion Jasmine Paolini lost to Elise Mertens in the third round. ABC Australia did not include these results in the available text.

Perspectives

Sabalenka's outlook

The Belarusian acknowledged her fitness is a concern but remained philosophical: "That was a tough one. But I guess we never lose, we only learn, so it's OK." She has two weeks to recover before Roland Garros, where she lost last year's final to Coco Gauff.

Cirstea's achievement

Cirstea, who is retiring at the end of the season, celebrated her win with visible joy. "I'm very, very happy," she said. "Aryna is an amazing player. I thought I played really well today. I'm working really, really hard. It's nice to have this result as payoff."

Broader implications

Sabalenka's early exit in Rome adds to a challenging clay-court campaign, raising questions about her readiness for the French Open. Her hardcourt dominance earlier in the year stands in contrast, as she seeks to return to form and fitness for the season's second Grand Slam.