Aryna Sabalenka Fights Back to Defeat Sofia Kenin in Rome

ROME, Italy — Aryna Sabalenka overcame a first-set loss to beat Sofia Kenin 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a thrilling second-round match at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday. The match lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes, with Sabalenka advancing to the Round of 16.

Sabalenka, the World No. 1, nearly joined three Top 5 seeds who had already exited the tournament. Her victory came after a strong comeback, as she has now won 21 of her last 23 matches, including recent titles in Miami and Madrid.

“I was going really tough on myself,” Sabalenka said in her post-match interview. “It was a tough match — she played incredible tennis in the first set. It was a great fight and super happy to get this match.”

Despite her impressive record, Sabalenka has never claimed the title in Rome or at Roland Garros. Following the early exit of Iga Swiatek, she is viewed as a strong contender for the championship.

The victory over Kenin was particularly sweet for Sabalenka, as it avenged her first-round loss to the American in 2023. Sabalenka has now won four of their last five meetings.

During the match, Sabalenka faced 23 break-point opportunities, an extraordinary number for any player, converting seven of them. The second game of the third set was particularly intense, featuring 10 deuces before Sabalenka finally secured her seventh break-point opportunity.

Keen to finish out the match, Sabalenka took advantage of Kenin’s errors, including two double faults that handed Sabalenka a match point. Although Kenin saved the first two match points, Sabalenka ultimately served it out.

Sabalenka’s triumph adds to her streak of 14 consecutive wins in WTA 1000 events, boasting a strong 34-10 record on clay surfaces. She finished the match with 31 winners, leading the women’s circuit this year with 1,017 winners.

Next up for Sabalenka is a match against Marta Kostyuk, who recently defeated Leylah Fernandez, as the tournament progresses.