World number one Sabalenka 'loves target on back'

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live power commentary connected BBC 5 Sports Extra, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

World number 1 Aryna Sabalenka says she "loves" having a target connected her backmost arsenic she goes into nan French Open women's singles arsenic nan subordinate to beat.

Sabalenka has stretched her lead astatine nan apical of nan rankings aft a commanding commencement to 2025.

The 27-year-old Belarusian has won 2 WTA 1000 titles successful Miami and Madrid, arsenic good arsenic reaching 3 different finals astatine nan Australian Open, Indian Wells and Stuttgart.

It intends nan three-time awesome victor comes into nan French Open, wherever she is looking to amended her career-best tally to nan 2023 semi-finals, arsenic galore people's favourite for nan title.

Sabalenka's manus appears to person been strengthened by three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek's struggles connected nan clay this season.

"Knowing location is personification chasing maine aliases having a target connected my backmost correct now, I emotion it. I return it arsenic a challenge," Sabalenka said.

"Every clip I spell retired there, I consciousness for illustration 'OK, let's go'. Let's spot who is fresh for nan unit moments.

"It's really helping maine to enactment successful nan infinitesimal and fight, nary matter what, connected nan court."

Sabalenka mislaid to Russian teen Mirra Andreeva successful past year's quarter-finals aft being hampered by a tummy bug.

"I'll decidedly not beryllium going to spell for nan aforesaid repast I had earlier that match. The instruction is learned," Sabalenka joked connected Friday.

Sabalenka, who has won 2 Australian Opens and 1 US Open, starts her bid against Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova connected Sunday.

Sabalenka has been put successful nan aforesaid half of nan tie arsenic Polish 5th seed Swiatek - meaning they could meet successful nan semi-finals.

Four-time victor Swiatek has not been seeded truthful debased successful Paris since 2021, having go known arsenic nan 'Queen of Clay' because of her formidable grounds connected nan surface.

After losing to Danielle Collins successful nan Rome 3rd round, nan 23-year-old was downbeat astir her shape and did not complaint her chances of bouncing backmost astatine Roland Garros.

However, she appears to person changed her mindset aft taking a week disconnected to reflect.

"I had a batch of clip to deliberation astir really I played and what my cognition was," said Swiatek, who starts against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova and could play Britain's Emma Raducanu successful nan 2nd round.

"I focused connected changing immoderate stuff, and besides having much intensity, because I consciousness for illustration I'm not starting nan lucifer well.

"I sewage to nan constituent wherever I knew I needed to alteration thing successful my cognition and possibly get a small spot much energetic earlier nan matches."