Chris Evert offers theory behind Aryna Sabalenka’s French Open ‘meltdown’ after shock loss
Aryna Sabalenka has crashed out of the French Open after a stunning collapse against Diana Shnaider on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The world No 1 was 6-3 and 4-1 up and yet somehow ended up losing 6-3 5-7 0-6 as she lost 10 games in a row on Wednesday afternoon.
The Russian deserves huge credit for going for broke and turning the match around, but Sabalenka’s implosion was wholly unexpected.
The 28-year-old struggled a huge amount as the wind picked up in scenes reminiscent of her French Open final loss to Coco Gauff last year.
Right at the end of her match, 18-time major winner Chris Evert was completely stunned by the dramatic turnaround.
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She said on TNT Sports’ commentary, “I have never seen her be up a set and 4-1, playing pretty well and all of a sudden her game goes to demise.
“This was her dream tournament; she has dreamt about this all year. All of a sudden she lost her feel. It is quite unbelievable.”
Former British No 1 Tim Henman admitted he was “staggered” that Sabalenka had fallen apart in this manner, adding, “To lose 10 games in a row, she’s had a bit of a meltdown there”.
Evert added that this was one of the “strangest” matches she had ever seen, while remarking that 22-year-old Shnaider was “here to stay” after reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final.
The seven-time French Open winner also felt that Sabalenka needs to learn how to adjust her game when the elements go against her.
Evert said, “I don’t think she has learnt how to play in the wind. The wind requires footwork, adjustment steps around the ball, wind wreaks havoc on the ball. You have to wait to the last second to set your feet and hit the ball.”
The American, who noted that Sabalenka began remonstrating with her team midway through the second set, then put forward a theory behind this collapse.
“What about this? Five of the top seeds had lost. Maybe that was in the back of her mind, ‘I have to win this now’. There could be a million reasons why it wasn’t her week,” said Evert.
They weren’t the only ones to be shocked by this turn of events. Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert tweeted the “wheels have come off” for Sabalenka.
And tennis journalist and presenter Marcus Buckland said, “Can’t believe the meltdown we have just witnessed from the World number 1 here in a windy Paris. A set up and cruising, Aryna Sabalenka loses the plot completely – bageled in set 3. The shocks keep on coming!”
Indeed, 25th seed Shnaider will now face qualifier Maja Chwalinksa in their semi-final, with Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva set to lock horns in their last four encounter.
Either way, a new Grand Slam champion beckons on both the women’s and men’s tour in Paris.
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