WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka enjoys Rafael Nadal-like moment of stardom; gestures fans to cheer her on outside Italian Open center court after 3R win

Aryna Sabalenka recently experienced a moment of stardom reminiscent of Rafael Nadal when fans gathered outside the center court to cheer for her following her third-round win at the 2024 Italian Open. She had even gestured for them to cheer louder.

Nadal, a record ten-time Italian Open champion, recently wrapped up his run at the Masters 1000 tournament in Rome after he was defeated 6-1, 6-3 by seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. Prior to that, the Spaniard had come back from a set down to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs in the first round.

After his loss to Hurkacz, Rafael Nadal was met with an outpouring of support from thousands of fans who gathered outside the center court to bid him farewell. The Spaniard acknowledged their cheers, love, and support by waving and smiling while making his way across a foot bridge.

Similarly, Aryna Sabalenka, following her third-round win over 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-2 at the Italian Open, was also met with many fans outside the center court. The World No.2 was cheered on as she walked down the footbridge. She was also seen capturing the moment on her mobile phone all while encouraging the fans to cheer even louder.

The official social media account of the Italian Open shared a video capturing this moment.

Watch the video here:

Aryna Sabalenka will face Elina Svitolina in the fourth round at Italian Open 2024

Aryna Sabalenka at Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2024

Aryna Sabalenka will go up against 16th seed Elina Svitolina in the fourth round of the 2024 Italian Open.

Sabalenka, seeded second in the tournament, kicked off her WTA 1000 campaign in Rome in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She started strong by defeating American qualifier Katie Volynets 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match. The Belarusian then defeated Dayana Yastremska in the third round, a player she had previously lost to in all three encounters on the WTA Tour, to secure her spot in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina also began her Italian Open journey in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She dominated her opening match against wild card Sara Errani with a score of 6-0, 6-2. She continued her winning streak by defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-3 in the third round to set up her fourth-round clash with Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina have faced each other three times on the WTA Tour, with the Belarusian winning two out of those three encounters. Their most recent meeting was in the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open, where Sabalenka triumphed with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Their head-to-head record currently stands at 2-1 in favour of the World No.2.