The tennis world was sent ripples of surprise as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered her second defeat in just three matches, falling to Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the third round of the Italian Open. It’s a result that raises eyebrows just weeks before the French Open, where Sabalenka will be looking to avenge last year's final loss.

The Belarusian powerhouse entered Rome looking to regain her dominant form, but instead, she found herself on the wrong end of a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 battle against the 27th-ranked Cirstea. Just 11 days earlier, Sabalenka had squandered six match points in a quarterfinal loss to Hailey Baptiste at the Madrid Open—a rare blemish on what had been a stellar season. This latest setback marks her earliest tournament exit since the Dubai Championships in February 2025, ending an impressive streak of 17 consecutive events where she had reached at least the quarterfinals.

For fans watching the match, there were clear signs of struggle. Sabalenka’s serve—once the most improved weapon in her arsenal and a cornerstone of her rise to the top—was broken six times throughout the match. While she landed 72% of her first serves, she won only 56% of those points, and her second serve proved even more vulnerable, winning just 11 of 26 points. The frustration boiled over at times, with Sabalenka seen slapping at a ball in irritation after losing five straight games to drop the second set and fall behind early in the decider.

There was a brief glimmer of hope when Sabalenka fought back from a set and a break down, breaking Cirstea as the veteran served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. But the momentum was short-lived—she handed the break right back in the very next game. A medical timeout late in the third set for treatment on her lower back only added to the concern, as the 28-year-old struggled to find her rhythm on the clay.

This loss means Sabalenka heads into the French Open with just four wins and two losses on the surface this spring. It’s a stark contrast to the player who dominated much of the season, but also a reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in tennis. Last year, she fell to Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros final, a match she later described as "the worst final I ever played," committing 70 unforced errors. Now, she’ll need to regroup quickly if she hopes to make a deeper run at this year's major.

For Cirstea, who is retiring at the end of the season, this victory is a career highlight. The 36-year-old veteran played with poise and precision, capitalizing on Sabalenka’s uncharacteristic errors and showing that experience can still outshine power on the big stage. As the tennis world turns its attention to Paris, one thing is clear: the road to the French Open title just got a lot more interesting.