Aryna Sabalenka aims to extend her unbeaten run in Grand Slams in 2024 as she faces Mirra Andreeva in the French Open quarter-finals. Andreeva, acknowledging Sabalenka’s prowess, admitted the Belarusian is on “another level.”
Sabalenka, 26, has had an impressive year, winning the Australian Open and boasting an 11-0 record in Grand Slam matches without dropping a set. At Roland Garros, she has lost only 18 games in four matches, advancing to the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Emma Navarro.
Ranked world number two, Sabalenka has reached the semi-finals or better in her last six Slam appearances, including titles at the last two Australian Opens. She expressed her satisfaction, saying, “I’m super happy that I was able to bring this consistency in the Grand Slams. It’s motivating me a lot to keep pushing myself and to see where the limit is.”
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva reached her first Slam quarter-final after defeating Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 6-2. This achievement will propel her into the top 30 of the world rankings for the first time. Andreeva’s success follows a strong year, including reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon and the fourth round at the Australian Open.
Despite her success, Andreeva has struggled against Sabalenka, losing their two previous matches. She was defeated 6-3, 6-1 in the Madrid Open’s last 16 in May 2022 and 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the same event a year later. Reflecting on these losses, Andreeva said, “Of course, we will add a few adjustments. We will change something, because the way I played the last two times didn’t work. She’s really experienced. She’s a player of another level, so I have to be prepared from the beginning. I hope my coach will help me with that, and we’ll see how it goes.”
As the second seed, Sabalenka could face a challenging semi-final, with top seed Iga Swiatek and third seed Coco Gauff potentially advancing as well.
