Sabalenka Left Devastated After French Open Loss, Makes Shocking Retirement Remark

‘I Want to Quit Tennis Right Now’: Sabalenka Left Searching for Answers After French Open Heartbreak

Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open campaign ended in stunning fashion on Wednesday, and the world No. 1 did little to hide the emotional toll of the defeat. After blowing a set-and-a-half lead against Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, Sabalenka admitted she felt mentally drained and briefly questioned her future in the sport.

“I want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka told reporters after the match. “We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I can get back on track mentally.”

The defeat was difficult to comprehend given how firmly Sabalenka appeared to be in control. The Belarusian claimed the opening set 6-3 and surged to a 5-2 lead in the second, leaving her just two points away from a place in the semifinals.

Instead, the momentum shifted dramatically.

Shnaider, the 25th seed playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, mounted an inspired comeback while Sabalenka struggled to halt the slide. By the end of the match, the top seed had lost 10 consecutive games and suffered a crushing defeat that left her visibly shaken.

“I don’t know when was the last time that happened to me, losing 10 games in a row,” Sabalenka said. “Mentally, I got into a very deep dark hole and couldn’t get back on track.”

The result was particularly painful because Sabalenka entered the tournament as one of the overwhelming favourites. With several leading contenders already eliminated and defending champion Iga Swiatek no longer in the draw, many viewed this year’s French Open as a golden opportunity for the four-time Grand Slam champion.

While Sabalenka has established herself as one of the dominant players of her generation, all four of her major titles have come on hard courts. Success at Roland Garros and Wimbledon has remained elusive, despite several deep runs.

The 27-year-old acknowledged that the pressure of trying to win a first Grand Slam title on clay or grass may be affecting her more than she realised.

“Maybe I’m focusing too much on the fact that I’ve never won a Slam on these surfaces,” she said. “Maybe that’s making me overthink and become too emotional during matches.”

Even amid the disappointment, Sabalenka attempted to find some humour in the situation. Asked how she planned to move on from the defeat, she revealed a rather unconventional recovery plan.

“I figured out how I can overcome it,” she said. “I’ll probably go to one of those rage rooms and spend a day smashing things. Maybe it’ll help, maybe not.”

The comment drew smiles, but it also underlined the frustration she was feeling after letting a winning position slip away.

For Sabalenka, the challenge now will be regrouping ahead of the grass-court season. Her immediate reaction was understandably emotional, but she has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most resilient competitors, repeatedly bouncing back from difficult moments throughout her career.

This latest defeat, however, may linger for a while. Not simply because of the result, but because it once again highlighted the fine line between dominance and disappointment at the sport’s biggest events.