Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open campaign ended in heartbreak and raw honesty as the world No. 1 admitted she feels like walking away from the sport. After a shocking quarter-final defeat to 22-year-old Diana Shnaider, Sabalenka’s post-match press conference was laced with despair, the Belarusian revealing her immediate desire to “quit tennis” following an implausible meltdown at Roland-Garros.
The numbers behind the collapse are staggering. Sabalenka seized the opening set 6-3 and powered to a 5-3 lead in the second, just two games from the semi-finals. From that commanding position – a set and a double break up – she would not win another game. Shnaider stormed back to claim the second set 7-5 before steamrolling a mentally absent Sabalenka 6-0 in the decider. In all, it amounted to a 10-game losing streak for the top seed, a sequence she admitted she could not recall ever suffering. “I don’t know when the last time was that I lost 10 games in a row,” she said afterward.
Sabalenka’s history at Roland-Garros has been one of near misses and emotional volatility. Last year, she held a set and 4-2 lead in the final against Coco Gauff before her game unravelled amid visible frustration and audible self-admonishment. This time, with defending champion Gauff, four-time winner Iga Swiatek and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina already out, the draw had opened invitingly for Sabalenka. Instead, the pressure appeared to engulf her once again, turning a golden opportunity into a catastrophic defeat.
Speaking to reporters, Sabalenka did not hide her anguish. “No thoughts, no emotions. I just want to quit tennis right now, but we’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally,” she said. The 27-year-old dissected the collapse further, acknowledging a critical mental lapse: “I feel I had very decent opportunities in the second set. I screwed up, and then she stepped in and she played great. I feel mentally I couldn’t really recover after the second set. I think that was the biggest mistake from me.”
The imagery she used to describe her mental state was stark. She spoke of entering “a very deep, dark hole” from which she could not escape, and of an intense need to release her frustration – referencing a hypothetical “room where you go in and smash everything.” She even floated the idea of spending a full day doing just that. “I actually have to step back and try to find a solution, because I just am so tired of me losing some matches not in the best way just because I was overemotional,” she added.
External conditions may have contributed to the shift, though Sabalenka declined to use them as an excuse. Strong winds swirling inside Court Philippe-Chatrier led her to question why the roof remained open. She recalled a similar situation from the 2025 final, when the roof was kept open for her match against Gauff but closed the next day for the men’s semi-finals to improve playing quality. “I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,” she said. Yet she conceded that her mental state, not the breeze, was the decisive factor. “I feel like it was getting crazy maybe just because mentally I wasn’t really okay.”
Shnaider, the world No. 17, deserves credit for her resilience and shot-making under pressure. The young Russian has been a rising force this season and exploited every trace of uncertainty from her more decorated opponent. As Sabalenka’s error count climbed, Shnaider’s confidence swelled, producing “unbelievable” tennis according to the vanquished No. 1. The result not only sends Shnaider into her first major semi-final but also blows the women’s draw wide open, with none of the top three seeds left standing.
For Sabalenka, the path forward is clouded. Her remarks about quitting, though likely made in the rawest moments post-defeat, point to an ongoing battle with the mental side of the game that has intermittently sabotaged her immense talent. Even as a three-time Grand Slam champion and the most powerful striker on the WTA Tour, the sting of losing from winning positions gnaws at her. “I have been through so many things, and I overcome so many things,” she reflected. “I just have to figure that little thing that is not working for me sometimes, and hopefully I can overcome it.”
The tennis world will now watch how Sabalenka processes this loss. The grass-court season looms, with Wimbledon offering a fresh canvas. But the scars from Paris may run deep. Her candour about wanting to walk away, even temporarily, underscores the toll that elite sport exacts. The immediate priority is a mental recalibration – whether through time off, work with a psychologist, or simply the sanctuary of routine. As she searches for answers, the image of another Roland-Garros collapse will linger, a painful reminder of how quickly fortunes can turn at the highest level.
Based on reporting from Sky Sports.