Venus Williams is defending Aryna Sabalenka after a crushing French Open quarter-final loss sparked retirement talk. The seven-time Grand Slam champion explored why Sablenka got emotional.

Williams was on the TNT Sports French Open panel this Wednesday and supported Sabalenka after her "I want to quit tennis" quote.

"I was feeling sad, actually. I was kinda like... Got taken on her emotions." Williams said. "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," said Williams.

She further said that it would be a tragedy for the tennis world if Sabalenka actually retires. She also talked about how this upset makes you feel and the player's inner struggle.

"The worst part is that you let your own self down. And to deal with letting yourself down is the hardest thing in the world." She said. "But she’s had a great year. I don’t think she should have any regrets. This should make her stronger."

The support was shown by the legend after Sabalenka made a statement about wanting to quit tennis.

"Just want to quit tennis right now. … What doesn’t kill you makes you strong," she said.

"At some point, I will have to figure this out. 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 was a difficult loss to stomach, but Sabalenka was once again seen struggling against the Paris wind.

What could be next for Aryna Sabalenka?

Losing to the 25th-seeded Shnaider made her very emotional after the match. However, Sabalenka also struggled to keep up with Coco Gauff's pace due to the ongoing wind.

Although Sabalenka's journey has ended at the French Open, failing once again to win her maiden title, she will now aim for another Grand Slam title.

Sabalenka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, winning two Australian Open titles and two US Open titles. But she has never won a French Open or a Wimbledon title in her career.

This year's Wimbledon gives Sabalenka the chance to redeem this French Open exit. Although she feels a bit demotivated right now, Sabalenka has always been the one to overcome adversities.

Last year, she failed to win any Grand Slam title till the US Open, having played 2 finals and one semi-final. However, she came through in the last Grand Slam of the year, winning the US Open.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi