I just want to get drunk, Sabalenka says, after Wimbledon exit

LONDON, July 5 : World number one Aryna Sabalenka said she felt like drowning her sorrows after her wait for a Wimbledon title was extended for at least another year as she lost to an inspired Naomi Osaka in the fourth round on Sunday.

The blockbuster clash between two players with four Grand Slam titles each failed to live up to expectations as 14th seed Osaka blazed to a 6-2 7-6(2) victory on Centre Court.

Sabalenka was continually knocked off balance by the depth and pace of Osaka's shots and despite digging deep in the second set, she never really looked in control.

At one point in the first set she screamed in frustration while early in the second she banged her racket against her head repeatedly. After losing match point, the 28-year-old launched a ball high out of the court before heading almost immediately to her press conference.

One year after losing to Amanda Anisimova in the semi-final - her third successive loss at that stage of Wimbledon - and saying she had a 'hate relationship' with Wimbledon, Sabalenka was asked how she felt about her latest exit on the grass.

"No emotions. Just know that I can handle myself much better than last year," she told reporters. "Obviously, guys, if you were expecting something really fun, not going to happen. Probably just going to be short answers.

"I fucked it up this year. Next year I'll try to do better. I just think, to be honest, I feel like my level was really low today, plus she was feeling her best. With every game we would play, I would feel worse, she would feel better."

Sabalenka lost the Australian Open final this year and after losing in the quarter-finals at the French Open, where she crumbled in the final set against Diana Shnaider, she said she felt like quitting tennis and was in a dark hole.

The Belarusian will remain as world number one after Wimbledon, but she said that did not interest her.

"Oh, this question, guys. I mean, let's just look at the ranking. Right now I'm world number one. Level-wise, today I wasn't world number one. Yesterday I was world number one," she said.

"I feel like I just don't even want to think about rankings at this point. I just want to go, get completely drunk, forget about tennis, and try to get in better shape."

It was the first straight sets defeat Sabalenka has suffered in a Grand Slam for six years.

"It's okay. I'll get back stronger. We'll start building everything from scratch for the next one," she said.