Due to their opposite-half draws, Sabalenka and Gauff could only play each other in the championship. However, the 20-year-old was unable to advance after falling to the unbeatable Swiatek in the highly anticipated semifinal on Thursday.
To stay in second place in the world rankings, Sabalenka merely needed to duplicate Gauff’s performance in the Eternal City. And the Minsk woman followed the doctor’s instructions.
She overcame a challenging first week, defeating Dayana Yastremska and Katie Voylnets, before saving three match points in an exciting late-night battle against Elina Svitolina in the round of 16.
Ever since that match, Sabalenka has picked up a new level of play and defeated two formidable hitters, Jelena Ostapenko and Danielle Collins, without dropping a set.
For the first time in her career, she will compete in the Rome final. It’s a rematch of the spectacular Madrid final two weeks ago, where she was defeated by Swiatek.
In the current rankings, the 26-year-old leads Gauff by 500 points; if she wins, that difference will rise to 850 points. Sabalenka will start as the second seed at Roland Garros since she won the title and holds the World No. 2 ranking.
