Yeah well… She’s back and she’s hungry!

Aryna Sabalenka is indeed a mountain for Himeno Sakatsume. The Belarusian stands at 1.82m compared to 1.58m for the Japanese player, a height deficit that will make Saba’s kick serve unplayable for Himeno on Stadium 1.

The power gap is colossal between the world number 1 and the Japanese qualifier, but Sabalenka’s physical freshness and the euphoria of her recent engagement could lead to a slightly choppy start to the match. Sakatsume, already well grooved after three wins in California and very effective on the counter, has the necessary rhythm to hang on to a few important games. In these slow-court conditions, a routine win is far from guaranteed, making the option of a tight match particularly appealing.

Now, in her opening matches after a break, Aryna often commits double faults (she has averaged 2 per match in 2026, but that number rises when she’s coming back), and Sakatsume managed to handle Parks’ serve brilliantly, which is just as explosive!