By the numbers: Late first-set surge carries Sabalenka into Round 3 of Paris

On a day when the men’s draw lost its World No. 1 in a stunning second-round upset, Aryna Sabalenka ensured the WTA side kept its anchor at the top of the rankings, though she had to navigate some early tension to get there. 

Sabalenka traded breaks in a tight opening set against Elsa Jacquemot before breaking the match open at 5-5, winning eight of the next nine games to secure a 7-5, 6-2 victory in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Here are some key numbers from Sabalenka’s win:

7: Sabalenka improved to 7-0 against French opponents at Grand Slam tournaments.

9: This is Sabalenka’s ninth consecutive appearance in the French Open main draw. She moved into the third round in Paris for the seventh year in a row but is still chasing her first title here.

20: This is the 20th consecutive Grand Slam tournament in which Sabalenka has reached the third round. She has not lost before the third round since the 2020 U.S. Open.

26: This was Sabalenka’s 26th straight-sets win on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz this year, the most by any player on tour.

29: This was her 29th win of the season. Sabalenka has lost only three matches on tour this year and will retain her world No. 1 ranking at the end of the French Open.

45: That was the number of winners Sabalenka struck during the match. She also committed 31 unforced errors. In contrast, Jacquemot hit 15 winners and 11 unforced errors.

Up next for Sabalenka is a matchup against former top-10 player Daria Kasatkina. Kasatkina advanced with a 7-5, 7-6 (13-11) win over Susan Bandecchi to reach the third round.

Sabalenka holds a 7-2 lead in the head-to-head series, including a 3-0 record on clay. The last time Kasatkina defeated Sabalenka was in Cincinnati in 2023. Since then, the world No. 1 has won four consecutive matches in the rivalry.