“Stronger than ever” Aryna Sabalenka aims for career-best clay swing in Rome

ROME, Italy—Can Aryna Sabalenka officially become a player for all surfaces?

The world No. 1 has won three majors on hard courts, and though she has won big titles on clay—capturing her third Mutua Madrid Open title just before her 27th birthday—she is considered second best on the surface compared to four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek.

Still, Sabalenka continues to make strides on clay, sliding into a 10-1 record on clay in 2025 after defeating good friend Anastasia Potapova, 6-2, 6-2 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

“I definitely improved a lot in my game in the past years, and it’s really important to have this variety on the clay court,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I think on the clay court, it’s more about being ready physically to work for every point.”

She came one win shy the title in Rome last year, and her last two trips to Paris have ended in bitter disappointment: her 2024 Roland Garros quarterfinal against Mirra Andreeva was marred by illness, leading to a three-set defeat.

“Right now, I’m stronger than ever, physically and mentally, and also my game improved a lot. So, I really hope this is the year where I’m going to look back on the clay-court season and be super proud of myself.”

That strength has paid dividends for Sabalenka’s on-court aura. Once a one-speed player, Sabalenka has indeed embraced variety and continues to experiment with her shots. Against Potapova, she landed a drop shot winner and repeatedly flummoxed the world No. 34 with her defense.

She took flight for a jumping backhand on her first match point. The attempt yielded a rare miss but left Sabalenka smiling at her own audacity.

“I’m playing with instinct,” the top seed told me. “Whenever I feel like I can go for these kinds of shots, I go for them. I definitely feel confident in my game right now so I can kind of like, try new things in the game. Today, this shot with the jump didn’t work well. I hope next time I try it, it’s going to be a little bit better!”

Sabalenka dealt well with the infamous shift from the altitude at the Caja Magica to the slower bounce on offer at the Foro Italico, earning a chance at Roman redemption against 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

“That’s a good revenge then, a good opportunity to change that,” said Sabalenka, who lost to Kenin at this tournament back in 2023. “I’ll try to do that.”

In the meantime, the 2024 runner-up plans to treat herself to more authentic Roman cuisine, opting for a bowl of carbonara after strategizing her ideal dinner table.

“I’ll make sure my team orders pizza,” Sabalenka laughed, “Then I can have a bite!”