Venus: Worst Part of Sabalenka’s RG Loss

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook

Venus Williams knows how Grand Slam ecstasy and agony can propel players to emotional extremes.

Asked to assess Aryna Sabalenka’s stunning spiral that saw the world No. 1 lose 10 consecutive games in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 Roland Garros quarterfinal loss to Diana Shnaider, TNT analyst Williams said every champion endures gut-wrenching losses like this one.

The 45-year-old superstar said it’s important to maintain perspective when suffering painful defeats.

Former world No. 1 Venus said coping with her third-set collapse and deep disappointment of lost opportunity may well give Sabalenka sleepless nights.

“A lot of empathy for her and she leaves it all out on the court,” Venus Williams said of Sabalenka during TNT Sports post-match coverage. “We see everything she feels on court and perhaps maybe take a little time if you need to before the press conference.

“Because I don’t think she wants to quit tennis. Like that would be a tragedy for tennis and a tragedy for her. But when you lose it’s like Aah—the inner struggle is real.”

Venus Williams, who is much more stoic on court than the sometime volatile Sabalenka and younger sister Serena Williams, said she respects the Belarusian’s transparency on court.

.@Venuseswilliams joined today's @TNTSportsUS #RolandGarros studio show and shared her thoughts about #1 Aryna Sabalenka's shocking loss in the quarterfinals: "When you lose, it's just so like — ugh! — the inner struggle is real… what happened today, it happens to every player… pic.twitter.com/NU9n93EHnR

— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsPR) June 3, 2026

Four-time Olympic gold-medal champion Williams said Sabalenka will be most annoyed by her struggles to control her shots in the whipping wind as she scattered 57 unforced errors.

“I like that she lets us in and lets us be a part of her world in that way. But what happened today happens to every player at some point in time and it hurts,” Venus Williams said. “I think the worst part is you let your own self down. Having to deal with letting yourself down is the hardest thing in the world. 

“If you just got beat, you just got beat. If somebody wiped you off the court you got beat, they played better you can deal with that. Right now, she’s dealing with her own disappointment. It’s hard to sleep at night with that….

“Any of us would take the year she’s had…She’s had a great year, I don’t think she should have any regrets. This should make stronger.”

Asked how she will bounce back from seeing her Roland Garros title dream shattered and her quest for a 400th Tour-level win denied, Sabalenka said she hoped to get smashed.

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, I guess. At some point I will figure that little situation, and I only will get back tougher,” Sabalenka said. “By the way, you know, I just figure how I can overcome it. 

“You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything (laughter)? Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help; maybe not (smiling).”

Jolly Rancher fan Venus Williams said she coped with the pain of Grand Slam losses with some major junk food binges.  

“I immediately start ordering all the foods I don’t eat,” Venus Williams said. “I have these pies and candy and anything you can think of coming in. McDonalds—all of it. It’s the best moment to let yourself go—that’s how I dealt with it. 

“I think my team would be like afraid of me too. Because sometimes I just leave the court from the site, racquet bag gone and everyone’s like: Don’t go around her.

“And I seem like a nice one, but nobody’s nice when they’re losing.”