After an early exit, Aryna Sabalenka drops a striking Instagram message; You won’t believe her tone

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

Sabalenka falls early in Rome after an upset loss to Cirstea

Aryna Sabalenka’s run at the Italian Open came to an unexpected halt after she was knocked out by Sorana Cirstea in the third round.

Sabalenka, who entered the tournament as the top seed, had started well with a straight-sets win over Barbora Krejcikova. But against Cirstea, she couldn’t maintain that momentum.

The world number one took the first set comfortably enough before fading, losing 6-2, 3-6, 5-7 to Cirstea. The result gives Cirstea a shot at Linda Noskova next as she continues her final season on tour before retirement.

It wasn’t what Sabalenka had hoped for from her time in Rome. Still, she appeared upbeat despite the result and focused on learning from it.

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

Sabalenka reflects positively after early exit from Rome

Following her early departure from the Italian Open, Sabalenka took to Instagram to share her thoughts, posting: “Not every story ends the way you want, but every chapter teaches you something.

“Rome, thank you for the love. Ciao bella, see you soon.”

Despite the setback, Sabalenka maintains a strong 27-3 record for the season and has started 2026 on a high note.

She kicked off her year by winning in Brisbane and followed that up with consecutive WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and Miami.

Sabalenka might need to sharpen her return game ahead of Roland Garros

Sabalenka finished the match with two aces, one double fault, and a solid 71.7% first serve percentage. While her serving numbers were decent, her return game still looked flat.