“That would be a tragedy for tennis and a tragedy for her”: Venus Williams reacts to Sabalenka’s emotional post-match comments in Paris

Venus Williams said she felt “sad” after Aryna Sabalenka’s emotional reaction to her Roland-Garros quarterfinal defeat, describing empathy for the world No. 1 following a dramatic collapse on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Sabalenka lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to No. 25 seed Diana Shnaider after leading 6-3, 4-1 with a double break.

The defeat saw Sabalenka drop the final 10 games of the match, ending her bid for a first Roland-Garros title. It also marked only her second Grand Slam quarterfinal exit in 15 appearances since the 2022 US Open, underlining a rare disruption in an otherwise consistent major record.

The world No. 1 had reached at least the quarterfinal stage in 14 consecutive Grand Slams before this result, with her Roland-Garros campaign again stopping at the last eight, mirroring her 2024 exit. Conditions on Wednesday were described as cold and breezy, with wind playing a visible role.

After the match, Sabalenka admitted she had fallen into what she called a “deep, dark hole,” struggling to process the shift in momentum after being within sight of the semifinals. The emotional response became a central talking point in Paris media coverage.

Williams focused on the psychological impact of defeat, emphasising the visibility of Sabalenka’s emotions during matches and in press situations. She noted that the world No. 1 “leaves it all on the court” and argued that such openness can amplify difficult moments immediately after losses.

“I was feeling sad actually. I was kind of, you know, taking on her emotions, a lot of empathy for her,” the 7-time Grand Slam champion said on TNT Sports . “She leaves it all on the court. You see everything she feels on the court and perhaps maybe take a little more time if you need to before the press conference because I don’t think she wants to quit tennis. That would be a tragedy for tennis and a tragedy for her.”

Venus also pointed to the difficulty of processing internal expectations after a collapse from a winning position, distinguishing between being outplayed and self-driven disappointment. She stressed that this type of loss is often harder to absorb than a straightforward defeat against a superior opponent.

“The worst part is that you’ve let your own self down. You have to deal with letting yourself down is the hardest thing in the world. If you just get beat, you just got beat, right? Somebody wiped you off the court, you got beat, they played better, you can deal with that. But right now she’s dealing with her own disappointment and it’s hard to sleep at night with that.”

Sabalenka’s defeat comes in the context of a season where she has remained world No. 1 for 85 weeks, maintaining consistency at the top of the rankings while still searching for a first Roland-Garros title. Her 2024 Paris campaign also ended in the quarterfinals, reinforcing a pattern of relative underperformance at this specific Slam compared to her hard-court success.

Venus Williams argued that the reaction may be amplified by the immediacy of the moment rather than the broader season trajectory, noting that Sabalenka’s overall year remains strong despite the setback.

“But what I’ll also say is that any of us would take the year she’s had. So I think she’s just amplifying this moment, but she’s had a great year and I don’t think she should have any regrets and this should just make her stronger. In her 85th week of being number one in the world.”

Sabalenka lost 870 points and the gaps at the top of the ranking have now tightened, with Elena Rybakina closing in to within less than 1,000 points.

With Sabalenka defending at least a semifinal run at Wimbledon, and Rybakina only defending a third-round result, the grass swing opens a potential window for the Kazakh player to challenge for the No. 1 spot. The upcoming weeks could therefore prove decisive in shaping the battle for the top of the rankings, with Sabalenka needing to defend significant points to maintain her position.

Sabalenka’s 85 consecutive weeks as world No. 1 already place her inside the top 10 longest streaks in history at the top of the rankings. She also holds a total of 91 weeks at No. 1 overall, which places her 11th in the all-time list of women’s world No. 1s, just seven weeks away from entering the top 10 and catching Lindsay Davenport.