Just hours after a crushing defeat at Roland Garros left her questioning everything, Aryna Sabalenka has made one thing crystal clear: she's not walking away from tennis.

The world No. 1 sent shockwaves through the sport on Wednesday when she admitted she wanted to "quit tennis right now" following a stunning quarterfinal collapse against Diana Shnaider. Sabalenka had been on the verge of victory, serving for the match in the second set, before losing 12 of the final 13 games in a brutal turnaround.

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But on Thursday, the Belarusian star took to social media to set the record straight. Posting a series of photos from her time in Paris, she wrote: "Still love you, Paris. I’ll be back. Definitely not quitting." The message was a relief to fans who had feared the worst after her emotional press conference.

The incident drew a heartfelt response from tennis legend Venus Williams, who expressed empathy for Sabalenka's pain. "I was feeling sad actually," Williams said on TNT. "I got taken on her emotions. A lot of empathy for her. She leaves it all on the court. 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. That would be a tragedy for tennis and a tragedy for her."

Williams added that the disappointment of letting yourself down is uniquely painful. "If you just get beat, you can deal with that. But right now she’s dealing with her own disappointment. It’s hard to sleep at night with that. This should make her stronger."

Sabalenka's French Open exit was one of the most dramatic of the tournament, coming as it did after she had dominated the early part of the season. She captured titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open before the clay-court swing, and her meltdown in Paris was a stark contrast to her usual composure.

Despite the setback, Sabalenka remains a top contender for Wimbledon and the summer hard-court season. She is still searching for her first major title of 2025, but her recent form suggests it's only a matter of time before she adds to her Grand Slam collection.

For now, fans can breathe easy. The world No. 1 isn't going anywhere — and she's determined to come back stronger than ever.