Top seed Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the WTA 1000 Rome Round of 32 after falling 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Sorana Cirstea at Stadio Centrale. After a dominant opening set from the world No. 1, the match slipped away across a tense and physical three-set battle on the Roman clay.

Strong start, sudden collapse

Sabalenka looked fully in control early on. The Belarusian dictated play throughout the first set, taking it 6-2 with aggressive baseline hitting and confident service games. But the momentum shifted quickly in the second set, as errors crept into her game and Cirstea began extending rallies more effectively.

The Romanian raised her level to claim the second set 6-3, forcing the match into a deciding third.

Sabalenka unable to close in the decider

The final set turned into a grind. Long rallies, pressure-filled holds and momentum swings defined the closing stages, with Sabalenka struggling to regain the authority she showed at the start of the match.

At 5-5, the top seed failed to steady the match, and Cirstea capitalized on the opening to complete the comeback 7-5. The loss marks an early exit in Rome for Sabalenka despite her fast start and No. 1 seeding.

Early exit for the world No. 1

Sabalenka entered the tournament as the player to beat, but after controlling the opener she could not maintain the same level through the final two sets. Cirstea’s consistency and composure on clay ultimately proved decisive, ending the Belarusian’s campaign before the Round of 16.

Track it on Sofascore

Fans following on Sofascore saw the momentum flips in real time, from set timelines to live scores. Match highlights are available, and you can dive deeper into performance data and the Sofascore Rating on the platform. Keep Sofascore close for the rest of the WTA 1000 Rome draw.