{"id":131705,"date":"2026-06-03T10:28:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T16:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/top-ranked-aryna-sabalenka-just-want-to-quit-tennis-after-french-open-quarterfinal-defeat\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T10:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T16:28:20","slug":"top-ranked-aryna-sabalenka-just-want-to-quit-tennis-after-french-open-quarterfinal-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/top-ranked-aryna-sabalenka-just-want-to-quit-tennis-after-french-open-quarterfinal-defeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka: ‘just want to quit tennis’ after French Open quarterfinal defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Aryna
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after losing the quarterfinal tennis match against Russia's Diana Shnaider at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

PARIS (AP) \u2014 After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open<\/a>, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust want to quit tennis right now,\u201d Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. \u201cWe\u2019ll see in few days. Hopefully I\u2019ll get back on track mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while serving for the match at 5-4. What followed was a complete collapse as she lost 12 of the last 13 games against a player appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, looking increasingly frustrated and forlorn in the windy conditions.<\/p>\n

Just like her loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s final<\/a>, when she also won the first set before becoming undone with a slew of unforced errors, this one will take some time to get over.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything,\u201d Sabalenka said. \u201cProbably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help, maybe not.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabalenka stood still and screamed loudly after losing a point to fall 0-30 down in the sixth game of the decider and, although she saved two match points at 0-40 down, she lost when she sent a shot into the net.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s combination of everything,\u201d Sabalenka lamented. \u201cYou overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shnaider next faces Maja Chwalinska, who extended her remarkable Roland Garros run by beating No. 22-seeded Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (3), 6-3.<\/p>\n

But for Sabalenka, her struggles were reminiscent of the match against Gauff, when she remonstrated loudly, shouting to herself and glaring at her team box.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just have to sit back and openly think about what\u2019s going on in my head in those tough moments,\u201d Sabalenka said, recalling that match. \u201cBecause I\u2019m quite an experienced player. I have been through so many things, and I overcome so many things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabalenka had already looked agitated when serving for the first set but still looked in control as she served for the match in the second, holding a 30-15 lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I saw some moments of her frustration,\u201d Shnaider said. \u201cI know Aryna, that she\u2019s a very emotional person.”<\/p>\n

Shnaider, who was already on her best run at a major, broke Sabelenka before taking complete control.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, honestly I am speechless. Super happy,\u201d Shnaider said. \u201cI feel like I was trying to focus point by point. Not thinking about the score. She is the world No. 1, so I just trying to do my best. I just had to fight for every point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sabalenka looked increasingly frustrated as the third set wore on, and when she missed a volley at the net in the fourth game of the decider she crouched and rested her head on her racket.<\/p>\n

Another upset<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was another big upset in a tournament where defending champion Gauff<\/a> (third round) and four-time winner Iga Swiatek<\/a> (fourth round) already tumbled out.<\/p>\n

Defending men\u2019s champion Jannik Sinner served for the match in a second round<\/a> defeat, and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic wasted a two-set lead in a third round<\/a> loss.<\/p>\n

That opened things up for lesser-known players. According to Opta, this is the first major without a former champion in either the men\u2019s and women\u2019s semifinals since the French Open in 1977.<\/p>\n

From qualifier to contender<\/strong><\/p>\n

The unseeded Chwalinska came through three qualifying rounds to become only the second Polish woman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros, along with Swiatek.<\/p>\n

Chwalinska said British player Emma Raducanu\u2019s run to the 2021 U.S. Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier had inspired her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such an impressive run, you know,\u201d Chwalinska recalled. \u201cAlso, she was so young.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Kalinskaya\u2019s big forehand from the back of the court went out, the 24-year-old Chwalinska had her biggest win, having never been beyond the second round at any major before this tournament.<\/p>\n

Chwalinska\u2019s total prize money heading into Roland Garros was $864,030 and reaching the last four here earns her 750,000 euros (about $872,000).<\/p>\n

Windy conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

After they traded early breaks of serve amid blustery conditions with the roof open on Court Philippe-Chatrier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why would they keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,\u201d Sabalenka said. \u201cIt was very dirty tennis. I don\u2019t know how people could actually just sit there and watch me play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalinskaya also struggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I was fighting against the wind,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was cold today, so the ball was going slower. I couldn\u2019t use my speed, my power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Men\u2019s matches<\/strong><\/p>\n

In remaining men\u2019s quarterfinals, No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime took on No. 10 Flavio Cobolli before unseeded Italians<\/a> Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi faced off.<\/p>\n

All of Wednesday\u2019s matches were held on Chatrier.<\/p>\n

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev<\/a> and No. 26 Jakub Mensik<\/a> won their quarterfinals Tuesday and will meet in the semifinals. ___<\/p>\n

AP tennis: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/tennis<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Russia's
Russia's Diana Shnaider reacts after winning the quarterfinal tennis match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Aryna
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus hugs Russia's Diana Shnaider after the quarterfinal tennis match at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Poland's
Poland's Maja Chwalinska reacts after winning the quarterfinal tennis match against Russia's Anna Kalinskaya at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Russia's
Russia's Anna Kalinskaya walks off the court after the quarterfinal tennis match against Poland's Maja Chwalinska at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Aurelien Morissard)<\/span>(AP Photo\/Aurelien Morissard)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after losing the quarterfinal tennis match against Russia's Diana Shnaider at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva)(AP Photo\/Emma Da Silva) PARIS (AP) \u2014 After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5734],"tags":[],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-131705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-associated-press"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131705"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=131705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}