US star Sloane Stephens shakes hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after losing in women’s singles. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP) (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Before unseeded American Sloane Stephens took the field to take on No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, the French Open marketed the match as David takes on Goliath. But Sabalenka and Stephens are both Grand Slam winners and it showed on Sunday.
The Belarusian star secured a place in her first Roland Garros quarter-finals with a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-4 win. Stephens’ experience in the 2018 final showed as she caught up from 5-0 in the first set to reach the tiebreak.
2017 US Open winner Stephens also stormed back from 4-2 to 4-4 in the second set before Sabalenka broke to 5-4 and served for the match.
Sabalenka now leads the tour with 33 match wins. The 2023 Australian Open winner meets Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.
Double team disqualified
No. 16-seeded doubles team Miyu Kato of Japan and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia were disqualified from Roland-Garros on Sunday when Kato flew a shot at a ball girl during their third-round match.
Kato and Sutjiadi lost the first set to Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo but were up 3-1 in the second set when Kato’s accidental strike left the ball girl in tears.
Referee Alexandre Juge initially cautioned Kato, but opponents at the other end of the field demanded the pair be disqualified.
Novak Djokovic breaks the tie with Rafael Nadal
On the opening day of Roland-Garros, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic told reporters that a year or two without Rafael Nadal represents a new title opportunity. A week later, Djokovic secured his place in the quarterfinals of the French Open at a record level.
A 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas on Sunday saw him reach the quarterfinals for the 14th consecutive year, the longest streak by a man in the event’s history. Roger Federer had the second most consecutive appearances, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open for nine straight years before retiring.
While Djokovic added that he doesn’t miss Nadal given his track record against him, he now holds the record for most solo quarterfinal appearances by a man at the French Open at 17. Previously, he and Nadal were level.
“Well, I’m proud of it, but my attention is already on the next game,” Djokovic said after Sunday’s win. Next, the 22-time Grand Slam winner meets number 11 seeded Karen Khachanov from Russia.
Djokovic probably has his sights set on another idea. He and Nadal both currently have 22 Grand Slam singles championships. Djokovic has two French Open titles from 2016 and 2021. A win this year would make him the first man to win at least three major tournament trophies.
Notable surprises
Unseeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated. No. 28 Elise Mertens 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.
Pavlyuchenkova missed last year’s tournament with a knee injury and has now defeated three seeded opponents in a row.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina defeated. No. 9 Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Other results
No. 1 seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, expected to be Djokovic’s main rival at La Coupe des Mousquetaires, defeated. Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Greece’s No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated. Austrian qualifier Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0.
Karolina Muchova defeated. Elina Avanesyan 6-4, 6-4.
This story will be updated.