PARIS — Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, winners of Grand Slam titles, advanced to the fourth round of the French Open with straight set victories on Saturday.
Seeded fourth, former Wimbledon champion Rybakina defeated Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-4, 6-2. Second-seeded two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka followed suit on Court Philippe Chatrier by beating Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-1.
“It’s challenging to compete against your best friend,” Sabalenka commented.
Sabalenka, after being down 5-3 in the first set, rallied to win eight consecutive games, taking command of the match.
“I was in a zone, trusting my shots,” Sabalenka added.
Badosa stated that their friendship doesn’t impact their competitiveness on the court.
“We have a great off-court relationship, but once the match starts, we switch to being opponents,” she said. “After the match, we’re back to being friends.”
