Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng faced off in a high-stakes quarterfinal at Roland Garros on June, 2025, delivering a match that kept tennis fans on the edge of their seats. The world No. Sabalenka ultimately triumphed over Zheng in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-3, to secure her spot in the semifinals.
Sabalenka, who had previously struggled with consistency on clay, showcased her power and resilience. After falling behind 2-4 in the opening set, she clawed back to force a tiebreak, where she raised her level to take control. The second set saw Sabalenka break Zheng’s serve twice, capitalizing on key errors from the Chinese star to close out the match in just under two hours.
This victory marked Sabalenka’s seventh win in eight meetings against Zheng, reasserting her dominance in their head-to-head rivalry. Notably, Zheng had scored her first-ever win over Sabalenka just weeks earlier in Rome, but in Paris, Sabalenka returned to form and denied Zheng a second consecutive upset.
Sabalenka now advances to her second career Roland Garros semifinal, where she will face either Iga Swiatek or Elina Svitolina. For Zheng, the loss ends a strong run at the French Open, but her recent breakthrough against Sabalenka in Rome signals that this rivalry is far from over.
Fans are left wondering: Can Zheng find a way to consistently challenge Sabalenka, or will the world No. continue her reign? The suspense builds as both players look ahead to the rest of the Grand Slam season.
