Sabalenka's French Open Dream Ends in Upset; Player Wants to Quit Tennis

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a stunning defeat in the French Open quarterfinals, falling to unseeded Russian Diana Shnaider 6-3, 5-7, 0-6. The loss marks the biggest upset of the women's singles tournament this year, ending Sabalenka's bid for a Grand Slam title.

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I have no thoughts and no emotions, I even want to give up tennis right now.

Sabalenka, who was a finalist at Roland Garros last year, appeared to be in strong form throughout the tournament. However, her performance unraveled in the final two sets, where she lost 10 consecutive games. The Belarusian expressed deep disappointment and mental distress following the match.

"I have no thoughts and no emotions, I even want to give up tennis right now," Sabalenka told reporters. She described feeling like she had fallen into a "very deep and very dark hole" mentally, struggling to regain her focus. Despite the crushing defeat, she hinted at a potential comeback, stating, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

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I think I have fallen into a very deep and very dark hole mentally, and I can't get back on the right track mentally.

Sabalenka plans to take time to recover mentally, possibly using a cathartic release like smashing things in a room. She hopes to eventually overcome these challenges and emerge a stronger player, though the immediate future of her tennis career remains uncertain.

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What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. I think at some point I will solve those problems and become stronger, and I also thought about how I can overcome it, you know that room where you can go in and smash things? I might stay there all day, maybe it will help, maybe it won't.