Sabalenka’s French Open meltdown sparks exit fears after shock collapse

Aryna Sabalenka didn’t just lose a tennis match in Paris — she lost 10 straight games, her composure, and, for a moment, her love for the sport.

From Command to Collapse

The world No. 1 looked untouchable Wednesday as she chased her first French Open crown. Sabalenka took the first set 6-3 and surged to a 4-1 double-break lead in the second against Russia’s Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals. She was two points from the semifinals.

Then the wheels came off.

Blustery winds swept red clay across Court Philippe Chatrier, Shnaider found her range, and Sabalenka’s game disintegrated. She dropped 10 consecutive games in a stunning 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat, spraying 57 unforced errors and slamming her racket in frustration.

It was her earliest Grand Slam exit since 2023 and her first loss from a set up at Roland-Garros since last year’s final against Coco Gauff.

“A Deep, Dark Hole”

The aftermath was raw. “No thoughts, no emotions. I just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka told reporters, voice shaking. “We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally”.

She described falling into a “very deep, dark hole” after squandering the second set. “I don’t know when the last time was that I lost 10 games in a row… I couldn’t recover mentally. That was the biggest mistake”.

The 28-year-old even joked darkly about needing a “rage room” to cope: “Probably I’ll spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it’ll help, maybe not”.

Why This Stings So Much

The collapse is amplified by what was at stake. With defending champion Coco Gauff, four-time winner Iga Swiatek, and 2026 Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina all out early, Sabalenka was the overwhelming favorite and the last remaining Grand Slam champion in the draw.

She also questioned organizers for keeping the roof open in “crazy windy” conditions that saw dirt fly into players’ faces. “I don’t know why they’d keep the roof open… but I can’t complain if almost the whole match everything was working okay, then it just slipped away”.

Not Her First Quit-Talk

This isn’t the first time Sabalenka has flirted with walking away. In October 2025, she revealed that during her 2022 serving yips — when she hit 40 double faults in matches — she thought, “maybe that’s a sign that I have to quit”. She didn’t, and won her first Australian Open months later.

Physical struggles have shadowed her 2026 clay season too. A hip/back issue forced her out of Stuttgart after winning Miami, and a lower back problem limited her in Rome. Still, she arrived in Paris having not dropped a set and dismantled Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-2 in the fourth round.

What Happens Now?

Sabalenka says she’ll take time to reset mentally. “I’m quite an experienced player, I’ve been through so many things,” she said. “I just have to figure out that little thing that sometimes isn’t working”.

She’s previously said she wants kids by 32 but plans to return to tour as “that grandma on tour”. With Wimbledon starting June 29, the clock is ticking.

For now, tennis holds its breath. The sport’s most powerful player just admitted she wants out. Whether Paris was a breaking point or just a bad day will define the rest of Sabalenka’s season — and maybe her career.