World’s No. 1-ranked singles tennis star, Aryna Sabalenka, recently left her fans worried after she made an emotional statement during her post-match interview. She has shockingly lost the quarterfinal match against Diana Shnaider, exiting the French Open 2026. Although Aryna held a commanding position at the beginning of the match, she had a dramatic collapse. In turn, both the tennis star and her fans found it unbelievable. However, the most unexpected incident took place after the match when the world no.1 shared that she wanted to quit the sport.
Is Aryna Sabalenka leaving Tennis?
Aryna Sabalenka did not hide her disappointment when she spoke to the press after her shocking defeat. The three-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she was struggling to process the turn of events. Especially after she had let her strong lead against Diana slip away on Court Philippe Chartrier. Aryna appeared emotional and explained that she needed a break to process what happened and regain her focus. Reacting to her loss, she said:
“No thoughts, no emotions, just wanna quit tennis right now, but we’ll see… We’ll see in three days, hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”
However, it is important to note that Aryna shared her thought of quitting tennis on the spur of the moment. In fact, she is ready to come fully prepared next time and up her game. Meanwhile, the loss was more painful for Aryna because she was on the verge of victory. At the same time, she won the opening set and held a major advantage in the second. But soon things suddenly went in Diana’s favour. She fought back to force a deciding set and eventually won the match. In her words:
“I felt like I had very decent opportunities in the second set. I screwed up, and then she stepped in, and she played great, and I feel like mentally I couldn’t really recover after the second set. I think that was my biggest mistake.”
In turn, Aryna admitted that she struggled mentally after losing the second set. According to her, the missed opportunity has now affected her confidence. Alongside, it has made it difficult for her to compete at her usual level during the final stages of the match. The world no. 1 described her emotional state as a “deep, dark hole.” She also shared that she cannot even think about the last time she lost consecutive games in a match. Despite the Frenzy, Aryna closed her statement by clarifying that she may take a short break to prepare for the upcoming grass-court season and Wimbledon.
Aryna Sabalenka’s personal life
Apart from the high-pressure court contests, Aryna recently had a special moment in her personal life. She got engaged to Brazilian entrepreneur, Georgios Frangulis. He is the founder and CEO of Oakberry, a global health-food brand. The 28-year-old reportedly began to date him in 2024 after they were introduced during a professional collaboration.
But soon the bond moved beyond the track, and they made it public. In fact, Georgios is often seen attending Aryna’s tournaments around the world. He eventually popped the question with a diamond-and-emerald ring. For those unaware, this development comes after the tennis star lost her former boyfriend, Konstantin Koltsov, after his sudden death in 2024
More about Aryna Sabalenka
Although Aryna Sabalenka lost the French Open, it has had little impact on her admirable career. She is considered one of the most dominant female tennis players of her generation. The 28-year-old proved her mettle to the world by winning multiple Grand Slams and maintained her ranking as the world’s top player. In fact, she won back-to-back Australian Open titles and US Open titles, before turning her attention to singles.
Aryna also overcame her serious serving issues in 2022 by rebuilding her technique. At the same time, she has won more than USD 49 million in career prize money and multiple WTA titles. Despite her emotional breakdown over her French Open exit, there is currently no hint that she plans to walk away from the sport.
Pic credits: Aryna Sabalenka/ Instagram, Reuters
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