Sabalenka aims for seventh straight grand slam semi-final at French Open

Paris: Aryna Sabalenka is expected to secure her seventh consecutive Grand Slam semi-final spot as she faces Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva at the French Open on Wednesday.

This match follows the unexpected exit of fourth seed Elena Rybakina, who was defeated by Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.

In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev will compete against Alex de Minaur in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. This follows Novak Djokovic's withdrawal due to a knee injury, which advanced Casper Ruud to the semi-finals.

World number two Sabalenka, who remains on track for a potential final showdown with rival Iga Swiatek, has consistently reached Slam semi-finals since winning her first major title at last year’s Australian Open.

“Achieving your goal gives you immense confidence,” said Sabalenka, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, including a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Mirra Andreeva’s sister, Erika, in the first round.

However, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the youngest woman to reach the French Open quarter-finals since 2005, aims to challenge Sabalenka despite losing to her in their two previous encounters. "We will make some adjustments because the previous strategy didn’t work," Andreeva said.

The winner of this match will face 12th seed Paolini, who upset former Wimbledon champion Rybakina with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory. Paolini’s strong start and resilience in the final set, despite Rybakina’s 48 unforced errors, secured her first Grand Slam semi-final spot. This also marks a significant achievement for Italian tennis, with Jannik Sinner reaching the men’s semi-finals and attaining the world number one ranking.

The men’s draw saw a shake-up with Djokovic’s injury, which media reports suggest may require surgery, putting his participation in upcoming events at risk. Sinner will replace Djokovic as world number one and will face Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

Zverev, aiming for his fourth consecutive Roland Garros semi-final, has had a challenging path, including five-set matches against Tallon Griekspoor and Holger Rune. “I’ve played for eight-and-a-half hours over the last three days and need to recover,” Zverev stated.

De Minaur, playing in his second Slam quarter-final and surpassing his previous best at the French Open, will face Zverev for the last semi-final spot. “It’s one of my best Slam results,” De Minaur said, humorously noting his unexpected success on clay.

This year’s French Open will see a new men’s champion for the first time since 2016, with Ruud being the only previous finalist remaining in the draw.