Aryna Sabalenka has revealed that she is hoping to get ‘revenge’ on Qinwen Zheng when they face off at Roland Garros. The pair will clash in the quarter-finals of the French Open on Tuesday, having previously faced off in an enthralling match at the Italian Open.
Sabalenka booked her spot in the last 16 of the Grand Slam with a victory over Amanda Anisimova over the weekend, with Zheng battling to victory over Liudmila Samsonova on Sunday too.
Zheng impressed when beating Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open last month, before ultimately being beaten by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals. The match has left Sabalenka desperate for revenge, and she has high hopes of enacting it on Tuesday.
Speaking ahead of the match, she said: “It’s always tough matches against her. She’s a great player. Of course I expect a great battle.
“I’m super excited to face her in the quarterfinals. I want to get my revenge. Yeah, I want to get this win after Rome. I’m happy to face her in the quarter-finals.”
Pressed on how she will change her game to ensure she does not taste defeat once again against Zheng, she said: “I have to say I was pretty exhausted in Rome.
“Honestly I was playing that tournament constantly thinking that I shouldn’t be playing. I needed a little rest before Roland Garros. I think maybe because the courts are a little bit slower so she has a bit more time to prepare her shots. Now I’m fresh [smiling] and ready to go. I’m super excited to face her in the quarter-finals.”
Following her success in the Olympics, Zheng has now won her last 10 matches at Roland Garros, but she insists that she does not feel like a ‘defending champion’ in the French Open due to the differences between the Slam and playing for gold on the same courts.
She explained: “It’s different, because (in a) Grand Slam, we need to play seven matches, and the Olympic Games is six matches to get a gold medal.
“I really don’t consider myself as defending champion. Right now, even though I’m in (the) quarterfinal, I think I’m still a bit far, and I just want to stay calm and fight every single match. Forget what happened last year, but just fight at this moment in Roland-Garros.”
