郑钦文哽咽发声

China's tennis sensation Zheng Qinwen lost to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the French Open women's singles quarterfinals on Tuesday.

When asked whether her quarterfinal run symbolized a ray of sunshine after earlier struggles, a visibly emotional Zheng — her voice trembling and eyes red — gave a heartfelt response.

"Actually, I feel like right now, I'm still caught in the rain," she said.

Zheng cited her inability to handle pressure and stick to her tactical game plan as key reasons for the loss, especially after gaining promising leads.

"The match started quite well. Losing was more due to my own issues," she admitted. "This match was winnable for me. But maybe I was too nervous and couldn't fully showcase my abilities. I think my tactics and overall plan were fine, but I couldn't maintain them consistently throughout the match."

The 22-year-old acknowledged the pain of letting a much-desired win slip away and said the match would replay in her mind for a long time.

"I'll keep thinking about what I didn't do well," she said. "But I can learn a lot from this match — it will help me grow stronger mentally in the future."