"So it's been a challenge," - Aryna Sabalenka reveals reason behind French Open loss

Aryna Sabalenka is yet to play in a French Open final.

Aryna Sabalenka looked unwell on Wednesday when she came out on Court Philippe-Chartrier to face Russian counterpart Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals at the 2024 French Open.

As the match got underway, Aryna Sabalenka started looking sick as she was not playing up to her full ability. The Belarusian tennis star was also seen taking medications in between sets and she asked for a doctor during the second and third sets.

However, Sabalenka suffered a disappointing defeat against 17-year-old Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva. The 26-year-old suffered her first Grand Slam defeat in 2024. Moreover, Sabalenka also dropped her first set in majors in 2024 against Andreeva.

After the match ended, she quickly rushed towards the tunnel. Due to the sickness, she wasn’t able to attend her post-match press conference. A statement was later made public on Sabalenka’s situation.

The statement read, “Aryna Sabalenka is unable to attend her post-match press conference tonight due to illness and is with the tournament medical team. WTA communications staff will provide quotes from Aryna, which will be transcribed and uploaded to RG Media this evening.”

Quotes were later released by the WTA on Aryna Sabalenka’s behalf. The former World No. 2 stated that she had been suffering from stomach issues and had been sick for the last few days.

Also Read: [Watch] Aryna Sabalenka dances alongside French Open ball kids on Fireball

She said (as per WTA communications staff), “I had a difficult time out there physically today. I have been very sick the last few days with some kind of stomach bug, so it’s been a challenge. It has been a few days, yes. I did my best to try and manage it.”

Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva will be facing Italian tennis star Jasmine Paolini at the semi-finals of the 2024 Roland-Garros. Paolini defeated World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in straight sets to secure a place in the final four. Interestingly, both tennis stars are playing their first-ever Grand Slam semi-final.

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