{"id":1945187,"date":"2026-05-20T12:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1945187"},"modified":"2026-05-20T12:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T09:30:22","slug":"kim-clijsters-makes-weird-revelation-about-aryna-sabalenkas-french-open-chances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1945187","title":{"rendered":"Kim Clijsters makes &#8216;weird&#8217; revelation about Aryna Sabalenka&#8217;s French Open chances"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Kim Clijsters makes \u2018weird\u2019 revelation about Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s French Open chances<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/tennis365\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Tennis365                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"20 May 2026 1:30 PM\" data-ps-date=\"20 May 2026 1:30 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1779280222\"><br \/>\n                            20 May 2026 1:30 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                       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class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Kim Clijsters makes \u2018weird\u2019 revelation about Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s French Open chances\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Aryna-Sabalenka-looks-on-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Aryna Sabalenka in Rome\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Aryna Sabalenka during her match                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Kim Clijsters says it is \u201cweird\u201d to admit that Aryna Sabalenka may not be among the biggest favourites to win Roland Garros amid an indifferent clay season.<\/p>\n<p>After winning Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> headed into the clay swing in a confident mood.<\/p>\n<p>However, a surprise quarter-final loss to Hailey Baptiste in Madrid, followed by a third-round exit at the Italian Open to veteran Sorana Cirstea, has set the cat amongst the pigeons heading into Paris.<\/p>\n<p>The world No 1 is still the favourite in many people\u2019s eyes, but four-time major winner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/kim-clijsters\">Clijsters<\/a> has pointed out that the red dirt somewhat neuters Sabalenka\u2019s firepower.<\/p>\n<p>And even though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/coco-gauff\">Coco Gauff<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/iga-swiatek\">Iga Swiatek<\/a> have also not won a clay court title this season, the Belgian thinks they are more likely to lift the trophy at the French Open than Sabalenka.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>More WTA News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\/2026-french-open-entry-list-prize-money-ranking-points-sabalenka-top-seed-gauff-defending-champion\">2026 French Open Entry List, Ranking Points, Prize Money: Sabalenka No 1, defending champion Gauff No 4<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/emma-raducanu-advice-laura-variety-claim\">Emma Raducanu gets candid advice from one of her biggest supporters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the WTA Tour rankings race, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\/2026-french-open-dates-when-is-the-draw-daily-schedule-sinner-sabalenka-headline-event\">Elena Rybakina<\/a> leads the way on 4,318 points, with Sabalenka less than 300 points back in second.<\/p>\n<p>Rome champion Elina Svitolina is third, whereas Italian Open runner-up Gauff and Swiatek are sixth and 10th respectively.<\/p>\n<p>And although Svitolina beat Swiatek in the semi-finals last week, Clijsters thinks the four-time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\">French Open<\/a> winner is looking very dangerous again and may conquer all in Paris over the next fortnight.<\/p>\n<p>She said on the latest episode of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nrL3F_SBhHU\" target=\"_blank\">Love All<\/a>, \u201cIt is [hard to bet against Swiatek when she\u2019s playing well]. The way she played against Naomi [Osaka] was insane.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe level she played in that match (fourth round in Rome) was incredible, running around her forehand, super aggressive, the serve, it was almost like the perfect match she played.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen she gets to that level again, on clay she is going to be very hard to beat if she can get to that level. But it is so hard to consistently play like that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s almost weird to think that maybe Sabalenka is maybe just below an Iga and a Coco at the moment, just going off her last clay court results and the way she was playing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA loss here and there can happen but her shots just don\u2019t hurt as much. The intensity is not as dictating on these clay courts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>WHAT NEXT? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\/2026-french-open-dates-when-is-the-draw-daily-schedule-sinner-sabalenka-headline-event\">2026 French Open: When will it take place, when is the draw, what is the daily schedule?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kim Clijsters makes \u2018weird\u2019 revelation about Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s French Open chances Tennis365 20 May 2026 1:30 PM Aryna Sabalenka during her match Kim Clijsters says it is \u201cweird\u201d to admit that Aryna Sabalenka may not be among the biggest favourites to win Roland Garros amid an indifferent clay season. After winning Indian Wells and Miami [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1945187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1945187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1945187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1945187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1945187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1945187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1945187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}