Paris: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered one of the most painful defeats of her career at the French Open on Wednesday, admitting she felt like walking away from tennis altogether after a dramatic quarterfinal collapse against Diana Shnaider.
The four-time Grand Slam champion appeared firmly in control of her match before watching victory slip away in stunning fashion. Sabalenka eventually lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to the unseeded Russian, who was playing in her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The defeat extended Sabalenka’s wait for a maiden French Open title and left her visibly shattered.
‘I Just Want To Quit Tennis Right Now’
Speaking after the match, Sabalenka did not hide her emotions.
“Just want to quit tennis right now,” she said.
“We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”
The Belarusian was leading by a set and two breaks, holding a 4-1 advantage in the second set. She even came within two points of victory while serving for the match at 5-4.
However, what followed was a complete meltdown.
Sabalenka lost 12 of the final 13 games as Shnaider mounted an extraordinary comeback, leaving the world No. 1 increasingly frustrated in difficult windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Another Painful French Open Collapse
The defeat brought back memories of Sabalenka’s heartbreaking loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s French Open final.
On that occasion, she had also won the opening set before being overwhelmed by unforced errors and nerves.
This time, the pattern repeated itself.
“You know those rooms where you just go in and smash everything?” Sabalenka said.
“Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help, maybe not.”
Shnaider Produces Career-Best Grand Slam Run
While Sabalenka struggled, Diana Shnaider delivered the biggest win of her career.
The Russian kept fighting despite trailing heavily and eventually took complete control of the match as Sabalenka’s confidence evaporated.
“Honestly, I am speechless. Super happy,” Shnaider said after the victory.
“I was trying to focus point by point and not think about the score. She is the world No. 1, so I just tried to do my best and fight for every point.”
Shnaider acknowledged that she noticed Sabalenka’s emotional struggles during the match.
“Of course I saw some moments of her frustration. I know Aryna, she’s a very emotional person.”
The victory sends Shnaider into her first Grand Slam semifinal, where she will face Maja Chwalinska.
Sabalenka Admits Mental Struggles In Crucial Moments
Sabalenka pointed to overthinking and missed opportunities as key reasons behind her collapse.
“I just think it’s a combination of everything,” she said.
“You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities.”
The top seed acknowledged that despite her experience, she still struggles mentally during high-pressure situations.
“I just have to sit back and openly think about what’s going on in my head in those tough moments.”
“Because I’m quite an experienced player. I have been through so many things, and I overcame so many things.”
Frustration Boils Over During Deciding Set
As the final set slipped away, Sabalenka’s frustration became increasingly visible.
After falling behind 0-30 in the sixth game of the decider, she stood still and screamed loudly following a lost point.
Although she saved two match points while trailing 0-40, her resistance ended when she sent a forehand into the net.
Earlier in the set, she crouched near the net and rested her head on her racket after missing a routine volley, a moment that summed up her disappointment.
Upsets Continue To Rock Roland Garros
Sabalenka’s exit adds to a remarkable list of shock results at this year’s French Open.
Defending champion Coco Gauff was eliminated in the third round, while four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek exited in the fourth round.
On the men’s side, top-ranked Jannik Sinner was stunned in the second round despite serving for the match, while 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic squandered a two-set lead before crashing out in the third round.
According to Opta, this marks the first Grand Slam tournament since the 1977 French Open in which neither the men’s nor women’s semifinals feature a former major champion.
Maja Chwalinska’s Fairytale Run Continues
Shnaider’s semifinal opponent, Maja Chwalinska, continued her dream run at Roland Garros by defeating 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (3), 6-3.
The Polish player came through three qualifying rounds to reach the semifinals, becoming only the second Polish woman after Iga Swiatek to achieve the feat at Roland Garros.
Chwalinska revealed that Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open triumph as a teenage qualifier in 2021 had inspired her own journey.
“It was such an impressive run,” Chwalinska said.
“She was so young.”
The 24-year-old had never progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam before this tournament.
Italian Surge Continues In Men’s Draw
The men’s competition also witnessed strong performances from Italian players.
Tenth-seeded Flavio Cobolli defeated fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to book a semifinal clash with fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi.
Arnaldi advanced after Matteo Berrettini retired with a left hip injury while trailing 7-5, 5-2.
The other men’s semifinal will feature second seed Alexander Zverev against 26th seed Jakub Mensik.
Sabalenka Criticises Decision To Keep Roof Open
The windy conditions throughout the day became a major talking point.
Sabalenka questioned tournament organisers’ decision to keep the roof open despite strong gusts affecting play.
“I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,” she said.
“It was very dirty tennis. I don’t know how people could actually sit there and watch me play.”
Kalinskaya echoed similar concerns after her defeat.
“I feel like I was fighting against the wind,” she said.
“It was cold today, so the ball was going slower. I couldn’t use my speed or my power.”
For Sabalenka, however, the weather was only part of the story. The larger challenge now is recovering mentally from another agonising French Open collapse that once again left her within touching distance of a breakthrough title in Paris.