World No 1 Aryana Sabalenka started her French Open journey with a strong performance by winning her first match against Kamilla Rakhimova.
The player defeated Rakhimova with a score of 6-1, 6-0 in just one hour.
As the match continued, she won nine games in a row. She hit five aces, made 30 winning shots and broke her opponent’s serve five times and eventually won the match easily.
The 27-year-old said, “I’m super happy with the win today. Super happy with the level.”
She further expressed, “It was amazing playing out there. I can’t wait to play another match on this beautiful stadium.”
It is pertinent to note that Sabalenka has never made it to the final at the French Open.
Sabalenka’s polaroid ritual after victory:
After winning that match, Sabalenka took instant photos of her tennis bag and the court using polaroid camera.
Taking photos with the polaroid camera has become a regular habit for her this season and when Sabalenka was asked about it, she explained, “The idea was to take some good moments in my life – I started in December and I already have a pretty big album,” as per BBC.
“When I feel sad, I go through the album and remember the good moments, they give me good vibes. The album is full of my team, which is annoying sometimes but it is good fun,” she added.
If Sabalenka wins the quarterfinal match, she could face Iga Swiatek, who has won the French Open three times in a row, in the semifinals.
