Aryna Sabalenka is the first player since Serena Williams to win her opening 11 Grand Slam matches of the season in back-to-back years, via OptaAce.
On Monday, world No. 2 Sabalenka ousted 24th-ranked American Emma Navarro 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarterfinal.
For 26-year-old Sabalenka – who successfully defended her Australian Open title earlier this year – it was her 11th Slam win in 2024. At the start of the 2023 season, Sabalenka became a Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open. A few months later, Sabalenka also won her opening five matches at Roland Garros before losing to Karolina Muchova in the semifinal.
The last player to clinch 11 consecutive Slam wins at the start of the season was the great Williams – in 2009 and 2010, the American tennis legend won back-to-back Australian Open titles and also made back-to-back French Open quarterfinals.
11 – Aryna Sabalenka is the second player in the last 20 years to win their opening 11 Women’s Singles Grand Slam matches in consecutive seasons, after Serena Williams in 2009-10. Brilliant.#rolandgarros | @rolandgarros @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/HDfDITRnCt
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 3, 2024
