World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 28, says she wants to QUIT tennis after losing 10 games in a row and booting a ball at ball kids in French Open meltdown… sparked by the WIND!
A furious Aryna Sabalenka has threatened to quit tennis after suffering a complete meltdown at the French Open as her hopes of winning a fifth Grand Slam at Roland Garros were blown away by the wind.
The world number one said she planned to spend a day ‘destroying things’ after losing her last 10 quarter-final against Diana Shnaider despite being just two points from victory at one stage.
Sabalenka even had to apologize for throwing the ball away in frustration after the missed first serve flew towards the line judge and ball boys and bounced into the crowd.
‘No thoughts, no emotions,’ Sabalenka said. ‘Right now I want to quit tennis, but we’ll see. We’ll see in a few days. I hope I get back to my old self mentally.
‘I don’t know when was the last time I lost 10 matches in a row. I don’t know. I think mentally I went into a very deep, deep, dark hole there and mentally I couldn’t get back on track.
Aryna Sabalenka was eliminated from the French Open with a stunning result and became the world number 1
Sabalenka’s defeat came after Jannik Sinner crashed in the scorching Paris heat
‘This is actually something I need to step back from and try to find a solution because I’m so tired of losing some matches just because I’m overly emotional, not in a good way.
‘I guess what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. At some point I will figure out this little situation and come back even harder.
‘I actually thought about how I could overcome this. You know those rooms where you go in and smash everything? I’ll probably spend all day tomorrow destroying stuff there. Maybe it helps; Maybe not.’
Sabalenka suffered a similar capitulation in the final last year, leading Coco Guaff 5-1 in the opening set but losing in three sets.
The 28-year-old was riding once again until strong winds blew around Philippe Chatrier and an increasingly angry Sabalenka kept stopping to blow dust from his face.
After taking the first 6-3, Sabalenka finished the second set ahead 4-1, but experienced her first bagel since 2024 in the last match.
“I was speechless, to be honest,” Shnaider said. ‘I’m very happy, the conditions were tough with the wind and it was my first time playing with him. I was very nervous. The first set was just trying to get used to her game and Cindi. Instead of playing about the score, I was trying to focus on individual points. He’s number one in the world, so try to do my best until the end and fight for every point to see how things go.
Sabelenka continued to wear the £75,000 diamond and garnet necklace and matching earrings she also wore during the pre-tournament media protest demanding more prize money.
Her exit marks the first time a Grand Slam has reached the semi-final stage without a former champion in the men’s and women’s singles draws.
