Aryna Sabalenka barely survived her last match at the 2024 Italian Open in Rome, but she's still in the tournament, though Jelena Ostapenko is primed for an upset.
Believe it or not, the Latvian contributed to the fact that Sabalenka became the world number one last year. Obviously, the majority of the credit for that goes to the Belarusian, who raised her level enough to reach those heights, but Ostapenko's win over Iga Swiatek actually allowed her to get there at last year's US Open.
Now, the Belaruaisn will have a chance to show her how grateful she is as they clash at the Italian Open. A place in the semi-final is at stake, so both of them will be quite motivated for this meeting at the WTA 1000 event.
Sabalenka and Ostapenko have played two times so far, and both times, the Belarusian won the match. One of those meetings happened a few years ago in China, while the other happened last year in Abu Dhabi.
The Latvian thrashed Sabalenka 6-2 in the first set, but then Sabalenka came back to win the next two sets 6-1 and 6-1. This match promises to be similar because that's just how Ostapenko's matches can go.
She's a spectacular hitter on her day but also very streaky. The world no. 2 has some ways to counter what she does well. Service is one of the most important parts of her game, and consistency from the baseline alongside the power is another.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Jelena Ostapenko | |
| 2 | H2H | 0 |
| 2 | Rank | 10 |
| 26 | Age | 26 |
| 23-6 | 2024 W/L | 22-8 |
| 383-180 | Career W/L | 364-217 |
In general, this matchup favors Sabalenka, mostly because of her consistency. Still, there is a danger against Ostapenko because there is always a chance that she'll come out firing.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in three sets.