By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, May 23, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Arriving in the City of Light, Aryna Sabalenka isn’t in the dark about her main mission for Roland Garros.
The world No. 1 says her goal is simple: Win her maiden Roland Garros championship.
“I think at this point of my career, yeah, it’s all about winning the titles, the big trophies, and I think you have to set up really huge goals for yourself,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris today. “Yeah, maybe sometimes really crazy goals.
Though she’s playing for her first French Open final, Sabalenka is not satisfied reaching finals these days.
“Yeah, I’m more into, like, winning than just reaching the finals, because losing in the final sucks,” Sabalenka said. “I hate it, so that’s not the goal for me.”
The two-time Australian Open champion came close last year looking strong en route to the Roland Garros quarterfinals. There, a bout with apparent food poisoning caused stomach issues as Sabalenka fell to 17-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva upset World No. 2 Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first ever career major semifinal. Sabalenka saw her 23-set winning streak at the majors snapped after the nearly two and a half hour battle.
Reflecting on that loss to Andreeva, the 2023 semifinalist Sabalenka said it helped her refine her diet.
“Well, I’ll definitely not going to go for the same meal I had before that quarterfinals match. The lesson is learned,” Sabalenka said. “Since then, we did couple of adjustments on my food, and yeah, just make sure that it’s never going to happen again.
“It’s not like I have the feedback — not the feedback, it’s not like I have this memory from the last year, but yeah, I’m trying to do everything as right as possible, make sure nothing gonna happen.”
The reigning US Open champion said coming close last year makes her more motivated in Paris this year.
“Of course I’m super-motivated, because I felt like last year I was really ready to be in the last stages of the tournament, but yeah, my body didn’t really feel the same,” Sabalenka said. “Yeah, this year I’m motivated more than I was last year.”
