Tennis: A court sport with racket and ball - "Friendly Rivalry": Sabalenka Overcomes Badosa in Competition
In the French Open tennis tournament, Aryna Sabalenka, the favorite, defeated her friend Paula Badosa and made it to the quarterfinals. This match was dubbed the "Battle of the Besties" by organizers. Sabalenka, currently ranked number two in the world, triumphantly won with 7-5 and 6-1 in a match that lasted 77 minutes.
Before the start of the first serve, Sabalenka expressed how difficult it was for her to play against her friend: "Playing against my best friend on tour is always tough. I love her so much. She's such a great fighter." A touching moment occurred at the end of the match when the players hugged at the net.
Badosa was supposed to compete in mixed doubles with her partner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, later in the day. But many other doubles matches had to be postponed due to heavy rain, including Tsitsipas' doubles match with his brother Petros. When asked about taking on this additional responsibility during the tournament, the ninth-ranked Greek stated, "It's all about love. Having the chance to combine love with tennis is truly unique."
The rekindled romance between tennis stars Tsitsipas and Badosa is generating much attention at the French Open. These two separated a few weeks ago, only to come back together just before the Grand Slam tournament.
