Aryna Sabalenka continued her amazing play at the 2024 Roland Garros with another crushing victory, securing a spot in the quarter-final.
The Belarusian was widely considered the second favorite, only behind Iga Swiatek, and that's only because the Polish player beat her twice leading up to this event. She has the level and experience to win the tournament, but it will likely require her to beat the Pole on clay, which she hasn't been able to do this year.
She has done it in the past, though, so anything is possible, especially if she keeps playing like this. Her fourth-round match against Emma Navarro was a typical Sabalenka experience, as she brought the hammer early.
She was up 2-0 after the opening two games and then added another break after that. The American is a capable player in general, but she had no chances in this match because she simply doesn't have the power or shot-making to beat Sabalenka.
She shares this problem with the majority of the WTA Tour, and it's very tough to overcome on clay. Interestingly, Navarro beat Sabalenka in their only previous match but didn't have the necessary level in the French capital.
The opening set finished 6-2 for Sabalenka, who was very confident in her tennis. She played well from the baseline and even served well, which makes her basically impossible to beat.
Navarro had some good moments in the second set but, for the most part, still struggled to change the momentum meaningfully. When Sabalenka pushed, she generally found success, which is why she was able to win the match in two sets 6-2, 6-3.
It's been a great event for the favourites so far as all Top 5 seeds secured a spot in the quarter-finals. That's not been the case often in the past.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Emma Navarro Match Stats:
| Aryna Sabalenka | 6-2, 6-3 | Emma Navarro |
| 7 | Aces | 4 |
| 0 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 60% | First Serve % | 73% |
| 85% (22/26) | Points Won After First Serve % | 62% (28/45) |
| 65% (11/17) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 18% (3/17) |
| 40% (4/10) | Break Point Conversion | 0% (0/0) |
| 36 | Winners | 15 |
| 12 | Unforced Errors | 5 |
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