Sabalenka eliminated in Rome

Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, world number one, fell in the quarter-finals of the Rome tournament, losing for the first time in her career to Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, in straight sets.

After six defeats against the leader of the WTA rankings, the Chinese tennis player, currently ranked eighth in the world, finally managed to win, winning on the Roman clay court with scores of 6-4 and 6-3, in 1h37.

With Wednesday's triumph, the Paris2024 Olympic singles champion advances for the first time to the semi-finals in the Italian capital, where she will face American Coco Gauff, the world's third-ranked tennis player and the highest seed (fourth) still in the competition.

The Rome tournament thus loses the big favorite for the title, with Sabalenka suffering a setback in her preparation for Roland Garros, whose main draw starts on May 25 and where she has only reached the semi-finals once (2023).

Less than two weeks ago, the Belarusian lifted the trophy for the third time in Madrid, adding her third title of the season.