Aryna Sabalenka Tersingkir dari Roland-Garros 2026 Setelah Tumbang

Petenis tunggal putri nomor satu dunia Aryna Sabalenka tersingkir dari turnamen Roland-Garros 2026 setelah menelan kekalahan mengejutkan dari Diana Shnaider dalam babak perempat final pada Rabu, 3 Juni 2026. Sabalenka kehilangan sepuluh gim terakhir secara berturut-turut setelah sempat memimpin dengan keunggulan 6-3, 4-1.

Hasil pertandingan ini membuat fase akhir turnamen Grand Slam Roland-Garros menjadi sulit diprediksi. Dilansir dari Tennis Majors, Sabalenka langsung menghadiri konferensi pers sesaat setelah kekalahan tersebut dan mengungkapkan kondisi mental serta rasa frustrasinya terhadap kondisi lapangan.

"No thoughts, no emotions. I want to quit tennis right now. We’ll see in a few days if I’m back on track." kata Sabalenka, petenis nomor satu dunia.

Petenis asal Belarusia tersebut mengakui bahwa dirinya mengalami penurunan performa yang sangat drastis pada set kedua. Kegagalan memanfaatkan peluang emas di momen-momen kritis dinilai menjadi titik balik yang menguntungkan bagi Shnaider.

"I had very decent opportunities in the second set. I screwed up, and then she stepped in and she played great. I felt like mentally I couldn’t really recover after the second set. I think that was the mistake for me." ujar Sabalenka.

Kekalahan beruntun dalam sepuluh gim diakui Sabalenka sebagai momen yang sangat jarang terjadi dalam karier profesionalnya. Faktor psikologis menjadi kendala terbesar yang membuatnya tidak mampu mengendalikan arah permainan.

"Yeah, I don’t know when was the last time that happened to me, that I lost ten games in a row. I guess mentally I got into a very deep, deep dark hole over there, and I just couldn’t get back on track mentally." aku Sabalenka.

Selain faktor mental, Sabalenka juga menyoroti keputusan panitia yang membiarkan atap stadion tetap terbuka dalam kondisi angin yang bertiup sangat kencang. Ia membandingkan kebijakan tersebut dengan perlakuan berbeda yang didapatkan oleh sektor putra pada musim lalu.

"That’s another question – I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy. But how can I complain if for almost the whole match everything was working okay for me, and then it just slipped away? I feel like it was getting crazy maybe just because mentally I wasn’t really okay. 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. Even though I was winning, it was very dirty tennis. I don’t know how people could actually sit there and watch. And then at some point she stepped in and played unbelievable." jelas Sabalenka.

Kendati demikian, Sabalenka menegaskan bahwa dirinya sama sekali tidak mengajukan permintaan kepada pihak penyelenggara untuk menutup atap selama pertandingan berlangsung.

"No. I feel like there was no need. Maybe I’m focusing too much on the fact that I’ve never won a Slam on them, and maybe that makes me overthink things." tutur Sabalenka.

Masalah performa di lapangan tanah liat dan rumput dinilai berkaitan dengan tekanan emosional yang diciptakannya sendiri. Sabalenka merasa terlalu terobsesi untuk memenangkan gelar Grand Slam di luar lapangan keras.

"I don’t know. I really feel great on clay, I feel great on grass. Maybe I’m focusing too much on the fact that I’ve never won a Slam on them, and maybe that makes me overthink things, makes me over-emotional at some moments. This is something I actually have to step back from and try to find a solution, because I’m so tired of losing like this – not in the best way, just because I was over-emotional." ungkap Sabalenka.

Kombinasi antara kesalahan sendiri dan peningkatan agresivitas dari Shnaider membuat situasi di lapangan menjadi semakin sulit bagi Sabalenka untuk membalikkan keadaan.

"I think it’s a combination of everything. You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities — and on the other side she’s stepping in and starting to play more aggressively, more free, kind of fearless. Sometimes it’s really tough to hold the pressure and put it back on her." tukas Sabalenka.

Pengalaman serupa juga dirasakan Sabalenka seperti pada pertandingan final tahun lalu, yang menuntutnya untuk mengevaluasi kembali kesiapan mentalnya dalam menghadapi momen-momen penuh tekanan.

"Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. I just have to sit back and openly think about what’s going on in my head in those tough moments. I’m quite an experienced player, I’ve been through so many things and overcome so many things, and I just have to figure out that little thing that sometimes isn’t working for me – and hopefully I can overcome it. Well, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, I guess. At some point I’ll figure out the situation and we’ll get back tougher." urai Sabalenka.

Sebelum pertandingan dimulai, Sabalenka menyatakan bahwa dirinya berada dalam kondisi mental yang sangat baik dan memiliki motivasi tinggi untuk bertanding.

"No, I felt really great. I felt ready to fight, I felt ready, I was super motivated, as always. So I wouldn’t say I’d done something wrong in the morning. I just think there’s something in a specific moment in the mind that happens, where I lose control of the match." sebut Sabalenka.

Meskipun turnamen kali ini dinilai sebagai peluang besar, Sabalenka menegaskan tidak pernah mengharapkan kemenangan yang mudah dan memberikan apresiasi terhadap performa Shnaider.

"I don’t want easy wins. For me it’s about suffering, overcoming. But also, how can you tell – Shnaider is in great shape, she’s playing great tennis. She’s also playing really great tennis. I’d say it was a chance for me." papar Sabalenka.

Ketika ditanya mengenai rencana dalam beberapa hari ke depan untuk bangkit dari kekecewaan berat ini, Sabalenka belum bisa memberikan kepastian.

"I honestly don’t know. I guess I don’t know. (Pause) I don’t know." ucap Sabalenka.

Hambatan mental yang kerap muncul di tengah usaha kerasnya menjadi salah satu tantangan terbesar yang masih harus diselesaikan oleh Sabalenka.

"Well, what" pungkas Sabalenka.