French Open 2025
Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
World number one Aryna Sabalenka edged a tight encounter against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen to reach the French Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka won 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 against China’s Zheng on a blustery Court Phillippe Chatrier.
The Belarusian – arguably the favourite to win her first Paris title – had to come back from a break down in the first set but showed all her fighting quality to advance.
“That was a true battle – I have no idea how I was able to get back into that first set,” Sabalenka said.
“I was ready to leave everything I have on court to win.”
Sabalenka has yet to drop a set at Roland Garros, with her improved serve and movement reaping rewards on the clay.
A potential mouth-watering meeting with three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek could await if the Pole beats Elina Svitolina in the second semi-final.
For all that Swiatek has dominated the French Open in recent years, Sabalenka is the player to beat this time around.
She has won three titles this year – including one on the Madrid clay – and reached two further finals, as well as strengthening her grip on the top ranking.
But her three-set defeat to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final stung – and she looks on a mission to avenge that loss.
Zheng had cause for optimism. She snapped a six-match losing streak to Sabalenka on the Rome clay in May and ultimately started the better of the two.
However, the mistakes were the difference, with Zheng committing 31 unforced errors to Sabalenka’s 18 and winning just 39% of points behind her second serve.
Sabalenka was visibly unimpressed with the wind, her game, and finding herself down an early break in the first set, but she generated enough rhythm to break back for 4-4.
The top seed dominated the eventual tie-break, taking it on a long whipped forehand from Zheng, and repeatedly battled back from 0-30 down in her service games to keep the second set close.
The pair exchanged breaks before Zheng played her worst game of the match to hurry Sabalenka along to a 4-3 lead.
Sabalenka’s quality then shone through as, with Zheng 40-0 up and serving to stay in the match, she hammered winners past her opponent to seal the match as quickly as possible.
