Aryna Sabalenka 'just wants to quit tennis' after shock French Open loss

World number one Aryna Sabalenka admitted she wants to "quit tennis right now" following her unexpected three-set defeat to Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarterfinals. Sabalenka squandered a significant lead in the second set, ultimately losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 after winning the opening set.

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No thoughts, no emotions, [I] just want to quit tennis right now.

The Belarusian player held a commanding 4-1 advantage in the second set and was on the brink of victory, serving at 5-4. However, the match turned dramatically as Shnaider won the final 10 games. Sabalenka described the loss as devastating, stating she couldn't mentally recover after the second set slipped away, calling it her "biggest mistake."

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But we'll see in a few days, hopefully I'll get back on track mentally.

Sabalenka also questioned the decision to keep the roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier open amidst strong winds, which she felt affected her game by sweeping red dirt into players' faces and making shots unpredictable. Despite the challenging conditions, she acknowledged Shnaider's strong performance. Shnaider, in turn, expressed surprise at the open roof but noted that the conditions were difficult for both players. Sabalenka, whose Grand Slam titles have all come on hardcourts, reflected on the need to improve her performance on clay and grass, suggesting she might be overthinking her lack of major titles on those surfaces.

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I screwed up, and then she stepped in, and she played great. I feel like mentally I couldn't really recover after [the] second set. That really was the biggest mistake.