Zheng Qinwen finally got her first win over Aryna Sabalenka at the seventh attempt to reach the Italian Open semi-finals on Wednesday and the Olympic champion said she had perhaps shown the world number one too much respect in their prior meetings.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is known for her playful presence on the tennis court, especially when she loses. The Belarusian has often shown her lighter side after losses, such as the Indian Wells final and the Australian Open final.

As Marta Kostyuk gears up to face Aryna Sabalenka again, this time at the Italian Open, the Ukrainian touched on the highly controversial moment that marred their last encounter during the Madrid Open.

Aryna Sabalenka didn't get a handshake from Marta Kostyuk after their Rome match but that didn't prevent the world No. 1 from acknowledging her rival with a classy gesture.

Tennis star Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis, was seen hailing Belarusian's chic looks as she enjoyed a night out in Rome amid the Italian Open 2025 campaign. The world number one will be facing Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters as the two WTA stars aim to seal the semi-final berth in this game.