Aryna Sabalenka has wasted no time stamping her authority on Roland-Garros 2024. The world No. 2 advanced to the third round with a clinical 6-2, 6-1 dismissal of Erika Andreeva, a performance that underscored why many consider her among the fiercest contenders for the title.
At 26, Sabalenka is playing with the controlled aggression that has become her trademark. Against Andreeva, she dictated rallies from the opening exchange, firing 28 winners to just 14 unforced errors and never allowing the Russian teenager to settle into any rhythm. The match lasted a brisk 68 minutes—long enough for Sabalenka to test her clay-court timing, short enough to conserve energy for the battles ahead.
This is familiar territory for the Belarusian, who reached the semifinals here in 2023 and arrives in Paris with genuine designs on completing her Grand Slam set. Her serve, often a liability on clay in earlier years, held up under pressure: she landed 67 percent of first serves and faced only two break points, saving both. When Andreeva did manage to extend exchanges, Sabalenka's heavier groundstrokes eventually wore her down.
The Underdog Story: Peyton Stearns Leads Unseeded Charge
While Sabalenka reinforced her status as a favorite, American Peyton Stearns embodied the tournament's other recurring narrative. The 22-year-old, ranked 134th in the world, knocked out a seeded opponent to reach the third round and headline an early wave of unseeded upsets.
Stearns and Sabalenka operate at opposite ends of the tennis ecosystem—one a Grand Slam champion with three major titles, the other a former NCAA champion still finding her footing on the professional stage. Yet both arrive in the third round with momentum and a clear sense of purpose. Stearns's victory has opened up a section of the draw that now looks navigable for a deep run, provided she can maintain her composure against higher-ranked opposition.
What Comes Next
Sabalenka will face a sterner test in the third round, with either a seasoned clay-court specialist or another power hitter awaiting her. The key question is whether she can replicate this level of clean, first-strike tennis as the rallies grow longer and the stakes rise. Her history here suggests she can—last year's semifinal run proved she has the patience to construct points on clay without sacrificing her natural attacking instincts.
For Stearns, the challenge is different but no less significant. She has already exceeded many preseason expectations for her 2024 clay season, and every additional win compounds her ranking points and confidence. How she manages the physical and mental demands of a best-of-three upset run will determine whether this becomes a breakthrough fortnight or a promising footnote.
Key Notes
- Sabalenka's 2023 semifinal run at Roland-Garros remains her best result in Paris; she is seeking her first French Open title.
- Stearns's upset marks her first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.
- Both players will contest their third-round matches later this week as the tournament field begins to narrow.
