Sabalenka’s French Open campaign ends in collapse as she cites mental distress
Aryna Sabalenka described feeling “mentally off track” and wanting to quit tennis after losing to Shnaider 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 at Roland Garros, marking another significant upset in a tournament devoid of former major champions.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s pursuit of her first French Open title concluded in the quarterfinals on Wednesday after she surrendered a two-set lead to Diana Shnaider. The four-time major winner, who held a 4-1 advantage in the second set and was two points from victory while serving for the match at 5-4, ultimately lost 12 of the final 13 games in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat.
Following the loss, Sabalenka described a severe mental struggle, stating she felt “mentally off track” and had thoughts of quitting the sport. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” she said. “We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully, I’ll get back on track mentally.” She compared her reaction to the desire to enter a room and destroy objects, acknowledging the difficulty of the moment.
The defeat occurred in windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier with the roof open. Sabalenka criticised the environmental factors, noting the wind made the ball slow and prevented her from utilising her speed and power. “It was very dirty tennis,” she said. “I don’t know how people could actually just sit there and watch me play.”
Shnaider, appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, capitalised on the shift in momentum. “I just think it’s a combination of everything,” Sabalenka lamented. “You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities.” Shnaider, who will face Maja Chwalinska in the semifinals, said she focused on playing point by point against the world number one.
The tournament is experiencing a historic lack of established champions. According to sports analytics company Opta, this is the first major tournament without a former men’s or women’s singles major champion in the semifinals since the 1977 French Open. Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek and Novak Djokovic have already been eliminated, while defending champion Coco Gauff exited in the third round.
In the men’s draw, Flavio Cobolli defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final. He will face Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced after Matteo Berrettini retired with a left hip injury while leading 7-5, 5-2 in their quarterfinal match. Second-seeded Alexander Zverev and Jakub Mensik will contest the other semifinal.
