Aryna Sabalenka’s dream of winning Roland Garros will have to wait at least another year, with the Belarusian having suffered a shock defeat yesterday in the quarter-finals.
To her credit, Diana Shnaider played brilliantly, but she was allowed to do so by her opponent, who once again crumbled under the weight of unfavourable conditions within Philippe Chatrier.
Last year, we watched Aryna Sabalenka throw away the title against Coco Gauff from a set up, incapable of dealing with the wind.
Yesterday was no different.
However, it arguably should have been.
What Aryna Sabalenka said about the conditions during her French Open loss
Speaking afterwards, Sabalenka lamented the Roland Garros organisers for insisting on keeping the roof open.
She argued: “I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy.
“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.
How do you feel about the roofs not being closed for strong wind? 😬
“Even though I was winning, it was very dirty tennis. I don’t know how people could actually sit there and watch.”
Sabalenka is right, and her frustrations are valid. She was treated unfairly by the powers that be, and it raises the question why there is not a more set-in-stone rule in place regarding this phenomenon.
Sam Querrey certainly thinks there should be, as he argued that Roland Garros should make a huge rule change after Sabalenka’s loss.
Why Aryna Sabalenka is right to be angry at the Roland Garros organisers
The overriding reason why Sabalenka was so harshly treated yesterday was ironically the same as what happened last year, as she mentioned before.
Whilst she was forced to play Coco Gauff in swirling winds with the roof open, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner had it closed just a day later.
Who wins the French Open now Aryna Sabalenka has been eliminated?
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Arguably, yesterday’s farce was even more egregious, as Felix Auger-Aliassime and Flavio Cobolli played just after the women’s world number one, and they had the roof closed.
Roland Garros argued that this was due to the chance of rain.
Sabalenka can feel cheated out of this win, which she would have surely gained had those elements been quelled, and is justified in her post-match frustration.
