Grand Slam winners Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka both advanced to the fourth round of the French Open in straight sets on Saturday. Rybakina, seeded fourth, defeated Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-4, 6-2, while Sabalenka, seeded second, triumphed over Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-1.
Sabalenka, a former Wimbledon champion, found herself trailing 5-3 in the first set but rallied to win eight consecutive games to seize control of the match. Despite their friendship, both players emphasized that their on-court rivalry does not affect their off-court relationship.
Meanwhile, Russian-born Varvara Gracheva of France secured her first-ever fourth-round appearance at a major tournament by defeating Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 7-5, 6-3.
In a thrilling late-night match, defending champion Novak Djokovic staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down to defeat 30th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in five sets, setting up a fourth-round clash with 23rd-seeded Francisco Cerundolo.
Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev also showcased his resilience by coming back from a 4-1 deficit in the fifth set to overcome 26th-seeded Tallon Griekspoor in a thrilling encounter that ended with an ace.
On the men's side, former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev and 21st-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime both secured victories in the third round. Medvedev defeated Tomas Machac 7-6 (4), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, while Auger-Aliassime overcame Ben Shelton 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
Despite rain interruptions and chilly conditions, play resumed with Elina Avanesyan defeating Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in a hard-fought match. Avanesyan expressed gratitude to the spectators for their support during the challenging weather conditions.
Overall, the French Open continues to deliver thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes as the tournament progresses.
