In Rome, Sabalenka struggled with her back: "I considered retiring".

Aryna Sabalenka had a top-class tournament in Rome. Already a finalist in Madrid, she followed it up perfectly in Italy. Alternating between easy matches and extremely long bouts, the Belarusian went through every emotion.

As she prepares to meet Iga Swiatek, her Madrid tormentor, in the final, Sabalenka was happy but worried at the press conference. Given the absolutely Dantesque level of their previous clash (Swiatek's 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 victory), this match has already got many fans salivating.

However, when questioned by the press, the world number 2, who had been suffering from a back injury for part of the tournament, admitted that she had thought about retiring: "I played in pain because of my back injury. I was very proud to be able to finish the match against Svitolina (in the eighth round). This match gave me a lot of confidence, it showed me that my level was there, that I could overcome any difficulty. I'm very happy to reach the final, as I considered retiring from the tournament after that match (against Svitolina).

I was lucky enough to have a day off. I'm still doing a lot of exercises and treatments to take care of the lower back. It's tricky, but the situation is improving day by day, so I guess we're heading in the right direction."