Aryna Sabalenka initially thought the boos and derisive whistles coming from the French Open crowd were directed at her after a first-round victory.

Sabalenka faced tough questions regarding her statements about sport and politics while Kostyuk was questioned about her decision not to shake hands with the No. 2 seed on Sunday.

The No. 2 seed rallied from an early break down to defeat Kostyuk in straight sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier after the two exchanged words in their pre-tournament press conferences.

The No. 1 seed at Roland Garros got us thinking about some other ambitious crossovers.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Aryna Sabalenka can both reach the top spot for the first time in Paris this year.

All of those questions about who would step to the fore once Serena Williams walked away from the tennis tour seem to be getting answered with three names.

Kostyuk has repeatedly advocated for the banning of Russian and Belarusian players as their countries continue its unprovoked invasion into Ukraine.

Will the No. 1 and No. 2 meet for a third time on clay this year in Paris, or is there a surprise spoiler or two waiting in the wings?

The Belarusian suffered a tough loss in Rome, but she still put together a fantastic clay-court season.

The Brit's post was a reference to the Mutua Madrid Open's faux pas during the shared birthday of their eventual champions Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka.