Aryna Sabalenka has come under fire after her latest performance at Roland Garros, as she crashed out of the event at the quarter-final stage.
Having raced into a commanding lead, it seemed certain that the world number one would soon secure her spot in yet another semi-final here in Paris.
Alas, it was not to be, as Aryna Sabalenka somehow conspired to lose the match from a set and a double-break up.
Many have lambasted the way in which a player of her stature crumbled, and one former player in particular has reserved scathing criticism.
Aryna Sabalenka criticised for Roland Garros performance
Speaking on France Televisions, it was Alize Cornet who offered her brutal analysis of arguably one of the most shocking results of the tournament.
She stated: “Beyond the shock of seeing Sabalenka eliminated in the quarter-finals, it’s also the way the match unfolded.
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“She was leading 6-3, 5-3; she served for the match, she had an easy volley that she missed, and from then on, she completely collapsed.
“I’d say that third set wasn’t worthy of a world number one. It’s true that Shnaider’s level increased; she was aggressive, she hit a lot of winners, but we saw far too many unforced errors from Aryna Sabalenka.
“And in the end, the best player prevailed, but what an incredible turn of events!”
Justine Henin accuses Aryna Sabalenka of lacking humility
Speaking on that same broadcast, a legendary tennis figure also outlined her disappointment with Sabalenka’s performance.
In fact, Justine Henin actually accused the Belarusian of lacking ‘humility’, as she stated: “She was unable to get into the match.
How do you feel about the roofs not being closed for strong wind? 😬
“She lacked a bit of humility at that moment. Champions always have this mix of pride and ego, which allows them to get out of very complex situations, but also often a great deal of humility to be able to get into that fight.
“In the third set, she was unable to get back on track, to accept that she had lost that second set, to get back into the fight.
“If a screenwriter had offered us the chance to write this Roland Garros, it would never have been believable; we would never have accepted it.”
Sabalenka criticised the decision to keep the roof open after the match, and Sam Querrey has actually called for Roland Garros to change the rules because of this.
