Aryna Sabalenka complains of fatigue after early exit at Italian Open 2023

Leading the WTA Tour with the most wins (29) this year, Aryna Sabalenka was upset by Sofia Kenin in the second round of the 2023 Italian Open on Thursday, May 11. After the match, the Belarusian suggested that she was low on energy and needed to recharge her batteries in order to return strongly.

In a clash between Australian Open champions, World No. 134 Kenin beat Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-2 in an hour and 38 minutes. This was Kenin's first top 10 win since defeating Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals of the Melbourne Major in 2020, where she went on to lift the title.

Sabalenka has enjoyed a great season in 2023 so far barring this loss in Rome, which is her first opening-round exit. She downed World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final of the Madrid Open just last week, where Kenin crashed out in the first round against Maryna Zanevska.

The World No. 2, who has a 29-5 record this year, took to social media to say that she was drained of energy but vowed to come back stronger.

"Exhausted. Definitely need some recharge," Sabalenka tweeted.

Sabalenka began her 2023 season with back-to-back titles at the Adelaide International 1 and the Australian Open. Her 13-match winning streak was snapped at the Dubai Tennis Championships by Barbora Krejcikova.

Elena Rybakina, who finished second to Sabalenka in Melbourne in January, then beat the Belarusian for the BNP Paribas Open title.

Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, where she lost to Sorana Cîrstea. After that Swiatek repeated last year's Stuttgart Open result, beating the 25-year-old in the final once again.

However, Sabalenka avenged her loss by beating the Pole for the Madrid Open title.

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Aryna Sabalenka glad that Belarusians are allowed to play amidst war but laments sour relationships with some players

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka has often been asked about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effects on the tennis world. During her stint in Rome she reiterated that those who disliked Russians and Belarusians continue to do so, before adding that there was nothing she could personally do to change the situation.

"The ones who were hating us before, I don't know, our country, for where we're from, they still hate us. This didn't change and I don't think it's going to change because of the situation," Aryna Sabalenka said. "I'm happy that we are allowed playing, that WTA doing everything they can to kind of handle this situation as good as they can."

"It's not like yesterday they hated us, today they love us, no. It is how it is. Unfortunately, we have zero control over this situation," she added.

Russian and Belarusian tennis players were not allowed to compete at Wimbledon last year, a decision that has been reversed for this year's event.