Aryna Sabalenka: Communication key to training with rivals at Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka has already faced some of her fiercest rivals at Roland Garros and the tournament hasn’t even begun.

The world No. 1 arrived to Paris early to maximize her preparation for the second major tournament of 2026, and has hit the practice court with the likes of Karolina Muchova—who won their 2023 semifinal on the terre battue—and Zheng Qinwen.

“I feel like nowadays we're all better with each other, and we're good with each other,” Sabalenka explained in a limited Media Day press conference. “We are communicating much better, and I feel like over the years, we improved in that side to go there on practice court and practice with your rivalries and to, I don't know, be better.”

In addition to a male-led team of coach Anton Dubrov and hitting partner Andrei Vasilevski, Sabalenka frequently spars with the top women in the game, including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

“It’s all because we're better with each other overall, so we communicate more and we open to practice and to improve ourselves,” she said. “I think that's why.”

Sabalenka was eager for practice after her clay-court season didn’t go according to plan. After a quarterfinal exit from the Mutua Madrid Open—a tournament she’s won three times—she appeared to struggle with injury during a third-round loss to Sorana Cirstea at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

“Yeah, I struggled the beginning of the clay court physically, to be honest, but right now I feel 100%,” insisted the top seed, who will play her first round against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. “We did a great recovery. We focused on recovery and make sure that I'm healed everywhere and I'm ready to go. Right now, as I said, physically I'm ready to go.”

The 28-year-old was unfazed by her relative lack of match-play, having started the season with a runner-up finish at the Australian Open and back-to-back victories at the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open. A strong competitor on clay, she reached her first Roland Garros final last year, falling in three sets to Coco Gauff. Able to set her off-court camaraderie aside, Sabalenka vows to be all business once the tournament begins.

“I think all of us are here just for one reason, you know,” Sabalenka said. “Doesn't matter if I didn't play a lot of matches on the clay court. I know that, I know how to play on clay, and it's all about being physically and mentally healthy, to go for it, and to be ready to fight.

“All I can say that I'm ready to fight, and of course I hope to do a little bit better than I did last year.”