World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka gave away a huge lead and crashed out of the French Open in the quarter-finals, losing to Diana Shnaider at Roland-Garros17:07, 03 Jun 2026Aryna Sabalenka has admitted she wants to "quit tennis" following a dramatic collapse at the French Open. The world No. 1 was the final Grand Slam champion remaining in the draw heading into the quarter-finals, and was widely tipped to claim her first Roland-Garros crown.‌Sabalenka held a one-set lead and a double break advantage over Diana Shnaider in Wednesday's last-eight clash, but surrendered 11 of the next 12 games - including 10 consecutively - to crash out 3-6 7-5 6-0. The four-time Major winner battled windy conditions in Paris and racked up 57 unforced errors, shouting towards her box as frustration mounted.‌This marks the first occasion in two years that Sabalenka has failed to reach at least the semi-final stage of a Grand Slam, and she now feels like abandoning the sport entirely. Speaking less than an hour after leaving the court, the Belarusian said: "No thoughts, no emotions. Just want to quit tennis right now, but we'll see. We'll see in few days. Hopefully I'll get back on track mentally.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page"I feel like I had very decent opportunities in the second set. I screw up, and then she stepped in and she played great. I feel like mentally I couldn't really recover after second set. That really - yeah, I think that was the biggest mistake from me."Having led 5-3 in the second set, Sabalenka dropped 10 consecutive games and openly admitted she mentally switched off. "Yeah, I don't know when was the last time that happened to me that I lost 10 games in a row," she continued.‌"I don't know. I guess mentally I got into a very deep, deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn't get back mentally on track."This is not the first occasion Sabalenka has found the wind at Roland Garros her undoing. She surrendered last year's final to Coco Gauff in remarkably similar circumstances.The top seed also suggested that the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier ought to have been closed, despite not making any attempt to request this during the match itself.‌She explained: "Yeah, that's another question. I don't know why would they keep the roof open when it's, like, it was crazy windy. But how can I complain if almost for the whole match everything was working okay for me, but then it just slipped away. I feel like it was getting crazy maybe just because mentally I wasn't really okay."So, for me, felt that it was getting crazy, but I remember even from last year, for our match, they kept the roof open, and the next day it was similar conditions, but for the guys, they closed the roof just to make, I believe, better conditions and better quality of tennis.‌"I don't know why would they keep it open? Even though I was winning, it was very dirty tennis. I don't know how people could actually just sit there and watch me play. I mean, then at some point she stepped in, and she played unbelievable in those conditions, but I don't know. It's a big question."Casting her mind back to her mindset during the match, Sabalenka added: "I just think it's combination of everything. You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you, I don't know, you miss opportunities."Then the other player on [the other] side kind of like stepping in and starts playing a bit more aggressively and more free, kind of like fearless. You know, sometimes it's really tough to hold the pressure and put it back on the opponent."‌She also acknowledged the striking similarities to her defeat in last year's final against Gauff. The world number one said: "Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I just have to sit back and, I don't know, openly think about what's going on in my head in those tough moments, because I'm quite [an] experienced player."I have been through so many things, and I overcome so many things. I just have to figure that little thing that is not working for me sometimes, and hopefully I can overcome it."‌As the last Grand Slam champion to be eliminated at the quarter-final stage, Sabalenka had been widely tipped to claim the title prior to her shock departure. Yet she refused to see things that way."I don't like easy wins, you know. I guess for me it's about suffer, overcome, and get it done," she smiled."But also, you know, how can you say like that? Marta [Kostyuk] is in great shape. Mirra is [Andreeva] playing great tennis. I'm going to make a mistake pronouncing the Polish girl. I'm so sorry. Maja [Chwalinska]. I'm so sorry. She's also playing really great tennis. The match shows I had the least, but I don't know how you say, chance."Article continues belowSabalenka may be feeling deflated right now, but she will undoubtedly dust herself off ahead of Wimbledon. And she's got a rather unconventional way of doing just that — by visiting a rage room."What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, I guess. At some point I will figure that little situation, and I only will get back tougher," she said."By the way, you know, I just figure how I can overcome it. You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything? Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff! Maybe it will help; maybe not."