Aryna Sabalenka reacts to shock early Italian Open exit

Aryna Sabalenka has reacted to her surprise early exit at the 2026 Italian Open by sharing a message on social media.

The four-time Grand Slam champion suffered a second loss in three matches on Saturday, when she was defeated by Sorana Cirstea at the Foro Italico.

Cirstea, who will retire later this year, shocked the Belarusian, beating her 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in their third-round clash.

Sabalenka has never won the Italian Open, and she now holds a record of 13-8 across eight appearances at the clay-court event. Her best performance in Rome came in 2024, when she lost in the final to Iga Swiatek.

Aryna commented on her Italian Open setback in an Instagram post.

“Not every story ends the way you want, but every chapter teaches you something,” she wrote.

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

In her post-match press conference, Aryna Sabalenka revealed she had not been feeling well physically during the match.

“I feel like I didn’t play well from the beginning till the end. I started really well, but then I kind of dropped the level,” Sabalenka explained.

“Felt like my body was limiting me from performing on the highest level. She stepped in and played incredible tennis. Didn’t really give me much opportunities.”

The Belarusian added: “I’d say that probably it’s like my lower back, connected to the hip, which kind of like limiting me from the full rotation.

“I guess we’re just going to have some days off. We’re going to spend it on recovery. That’s the plan I believe for now.”

After the loss, Sabalenka will now go into this month's French Open with four victories and two losses on the clay.

In last year’s Roland Garros final, Sabalenka was defeated by Coco Gauff, the performance she described as "the worst final I ever played", as she committed 70 unforced errors in that match.