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.
