The French Open
Sabalenka plays lights-out to stop Osaka in Paris
Aryna Sabalenka took full advantage of the first women’s night match in three years at the French Open as she dealt out a 7-5, 6-3 win over Naomi Osaka to reach the quarter-finals.
The world No. 1 and 2025 runner-up won the battle of multiple Grand Slam champions as women were finally tapped for the controversial Roland Garros night match for the first time since 2023.
With the men’s field down to a skeleton crew with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic out and injured Carlos Alcaraz missing, Paris officials may have had little choice but to trot out women after years of criticism over scheduling choices.
.Sabalenka snuck out the opening set on an Osaka double-fault. She repeated in the second set with a break for 4-3.
Two games later it was all over after Osaka double-faulted to yield a match point and Sabalenka answered with a stinging service return for a match-winner after 89 minutes.
“She’s such a great player, we always have tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy with the way I served and put the pressure back on her.
“I’m happy with the win, it was a tough one.”
The top seed said that taking the night slot for the first time was a pleasure, calling the experience “amazing.”
“This was not the best match of my life but I feel I’m getting better and better with each match. I’m pleased with the performance today.
ATP
Roland Garros 2026 Men’s Day 9
Matteo Berrettini took Italian revenge on Monday against the Argentine who knocked out Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) fourth-round demolition of Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.
Former top 10 player Berrettini, now mended after several seasons of intermittent injury absences sent the South American packing in a solid clay display.
The Italian saved three Cerundolo set points in the third-set tiebreaker, with Berrettini claiming a match point on an inside-out forehand, and following up with a serve winner..
“I feel great,” Berrettini said. “I’m happy with the support in a full stadium.
“This is why we train and fight, I’m enjoying the atmosphere with my team and family.”
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime booked the last eight as he put out another South American in Canadian-born Chilean AlejandroTabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
FAA becomes the first Canadian man to complete the set of quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The 30-year-old Berretini from Rome is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 when he also reached the last eight here.
The current No. 105 is the lowest-ranked men’s quarter-finalist in Paris since in 2007.
Cobolli lost his first set of the tournament as he ran up against an American with negligible experience on clay, defeating Zach Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).
The 10th-seeded Italian’s victory put him into his second Grand Slam and his first in Paris.
“I was a little bit nervous to close the match today,” the winner said. “It means a lot, this tournament, for me.
“Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was today.
“But also Zachary played a really good match today after the second set… tennis is like this. At the end, I was happy, and that’s the important thing.”
Svajda came to the major with only one career match win on clay. He began correcting that in the third round by beating Francisco.Cerundolo.
Cobolli cruised through the first two sets but his perfect set record took a dent in the third as Svajda forced a tiebreaker and saved a match point after closing the Italian’s 5-1 lead and forcing a tiebreaker.
It took a tiebreak fourth set to settle the outcome after more than three and a quarter hours.
Queens
WTA hypes the wildcard return of Serena
The WTA hype machine hit full power on Monday with the announcement that Serena Williams will mount a comeback to tennis three months shy of her 45th birthday.
While nothing is official, the 23-time Grand Slam winner who left the court in 2022 to concentrate on motherhood and business initiatives, will receive a wild card into doubles at next week’s Queen’s club event in London.
The American with 73 singles titles from an 18-year career walked away from the game after a third -round loss at the 2022 US Open to Ajla Tomljanovic.
Queen’s officials have yet to confirm the wild card entry or a partner for Williams.
The French Open
Roland Garros 2026 Women’s Day 9
Anastasia Potapova, who knocked out defending champion Coco Gauff, rode a roller coaster of momentum shifts but was unable to advance further, falling 6-4, 2-6,, 7-6 (10-7) to Anna Kalinskaya on Monday to exit the French Open.
The Russian who only took up Austrian citizenship in late 2025, was eliminated by her good friend after a struggle of nearly three hours, with no clear outcome visible until the closing seconds of the fourth-round encounter.
“I’m here only being very positive,” Potapova said. “Of course I feel sad that I lost today, but at the same time, I left everything there. I did everything I could.
“I’m leaving the French Open with my head held high.”
Potapova twice served for victory in the third set without success as she duelled with Kalinskaya.
The player who had won just a single match at Roland Garros in four previous editions, has found her form on the clay at this edition.
“I probably changed mentally,” No. 24 Kalinskaya said. “I tried to enjoy it more and not put on pressure to play good on the clay.”
The pair both played in patches, with Potapova weighed down by eight double-faults among nearly 50 unforced errors while Kalinskaya produced 58 during her victory.
Potapova earned a 4-1 lead in the third set only to get overhauled for 4-all. The ensuing four games were breaks of serve, leading to the deciding 10-point tiebreaker.
The Austrian again failed to defend a 4-1 margin, with Kalinskaya clawing back to eventually earn three match points. She profitted on the second, a Potapova return long over the baseline.
“I’m shocked,” the winner said. I can’t believe the match is over and I’m standing here. What a match, unbelievable fight from both of us to the last second.
“I’ve played her many times but this one was special. She;s improved a lot, today was super challenging and I’m just glad that I won.”
The winner said she relaxed at the tight moments when her opponent served for the match
“I didn’t have nerves anymore, I was just hoping to stay focused. if things did not work out, then…whatever.”
Potapova had her own analysis of what went wrong for her.
“I was fully in control of the first set. Then she played two very good games where she just probably relaxed and started to swing forehands and backhands, and the ball was going so hard.
“From that point I got tense. My game started to fall apart.”
Kalinskaya will next play qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who shocked the last Frenchwoman in the field, Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-2.
The No. 114 Pole is competing in the third Grand Slam main draw of her career. She defeated an dis-heartened opponent who seemed to know early in the second set that she had few chances.
The winner remains in unknown territory as she reaches the last eight. She called her victory “pure joy.”
“I didn’t expect this for sure. I’m very, very, very grateful to be here,
“My game is to mix it up, it’s natural for me to pay a lot of dropshots and high balls off the forehand.”
The shy winner said her match with Kalinskaya will be huge for her.
“She’s a top player and no one knows me, to be honest, It will be a challenging one and I will need to play my best tennis to win.”
In the top half of the draw, 2018 semi-finalist Madison Keys lost a battle with Diana Scnaider 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
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