Sabalenka defeats Badosa: "It's hard to play against your best friend".

For several weeks now, Aryna Sabalenka has been playing really good tennis. Finalist in Madrid and Rome, she arrives in Paris full of confidence. After two very easy matches, she mastered Paula Badosa perfectly in the third round (7-5, 6-1 in 1h17). After enduring her opponent's thunderous start to the match, the Belarusian clearly raised her game, winning 10 of the last 11 games.

Too powerful for her opponent, she continued her run with great authority. This masterful performance was impressive on at least two counts. Not only does Sabalenka further establish herself as a title favorite, but she also demonstrates the progress she has made on the mental front. Indeed, Badosa is not just any opponent, but the world No.2's best friend. To win against a player for whom she has such affection is therefore a superb testimony to the nervous solidity of the last Australian Open champion.

Questioned after her victory, the 25-year-old was very transparent on the subject: "She's an incredible player who's coming back from injury. She'll soon be back on top. It's hard to play against your best friend. It's very tough. But we know how to balance things out. On the pitch, we're opponents. I try not to look the other way. I just try to concentrate on myself. It was a tough match against her."

On the tennis front, Sabalenka will attempt to reach the quarter-finals this Monday against Emma Navarro (ranked 24th).