Aryna Sabalenka Accused Of Making Excuses After Shocking Loss

Aryna Sabalenka's pursuit of her first Roland Garros title came crashing down this Wednesday against Diana Shnaider.

Despite being down a set and a double break, Shnaider clawed her way back to an improbable 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 win. By the time the deciding set started, it was pretty clear that only Shnaider was mentally prepared for battle. Sabalenka, on the other hand, was spiraling out of control.

"Well, honestly I am speechless. Super happy," Shnaider said. "I 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."

Shortly after suffering this disappointing loss, Sabalenka spoke to reporters about her performance. She pointed out how brutal the conditions were in Paris this afternoon.

"That's another question – I don't know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy. But how can I complain if for almost the whole match everything was working okay for me, and then it just slipped away?" Sabalenka said. "I feel like it was getting crazy maybe just because mentally I wasn't really okay. I remember even from last year they kept the roof open for us, and then the next day, in similar conditions, they closed it for the men – to make better conditions and better quality of tennis, I believe. I don't know why they would keep it open. Even though I was winning, it was very dirty tennis. I don't know how people could actually sit there and watch. And then at some point she stepped in and played unbelievable."

Tennis fans didn't appreciate those remarks from Sabalenka. They thought she showed a lack of accountability at the podium.

"A winner of 4 grand slams coming for tournament directors is never a good thing," one fan commented. "Just take the L and move on."

"The roof should be closed when it's raining not because of wind. How dumb can this girl's excuses be," a second fan wrote.

"You lost to a better player simple! Respect your opponents. You won first set in same conditions and could have won 2nd set. So why blame the conditions, you wasted energy arguing with your coaches instead of concentrating on the pitch," another fan said.

What's next for Sabalenka?

Sabalenka was asked to share her thoughts and emotions following her loss to Shnaider. Her response was as honest as it gets.

"No thoughts, no emotions," Sabalenka replied. "Just want to quit tennis right now."

"What doesn't kill you makes you strong. At some point I will have to figure this out," Sabalenka continued. "I wanna go to one of those rooms, go in and smash everything. Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow. Maybe it will help, maybe not."

It's possible Sabalenka bounces back at Wimbledon, but she has never made it past the semifinals at the All England Club.

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 9:12 AM.