Daria Saville suffers epic racket-hitting breakdown after US Open defeat

Australian tennis player Daria Saville brutally destroyed her racket after losing her first-round match at the US Open on Tuesday.

Saville, ranked 95th, repeatedly smashed her racket on the court after a heartbreaking 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (10-6) loss to Japan’s Ena Shibahara, ranked 39th in the world.

Saville, 30, later explained that she had played while injured and was unsure about her future playing career.

“At that point, yes,” Saville said after that match when asked if she was “completely fed up” with injuries, including two knee operations and an Achilles problem. “Mentally, it was tough because at one point I felt like I didn’t even deserve it because I hadn’t done the work that was needed. It’s just a cycle.”

“I’ve had this before when I played injured, and it’s just a horrible cycle. (I think), ‘Do I even want to do this anymore?’

“I’m really negative right now. I don’t know how I’m going to feel tomorrow, and I probably won’t feel the same in a few days, but it’s not fun playing injured.”

According to news.com.au, Saville also shared a photo on Instagram that appears to show her in hospital after the game.

“Desperate times after losing a 3 hour match but I can’t walk lol,” she reportedly wrote.

Saville, who entered the US Open as the highest-ranked Australian, further explained that she only entered the tournament for the money.

“No. That’s the truth,” she said. “Where else am I going to make money? I lose money every week when I bring a coach. (I shouldn’t) play, but where am I going to make that kind of prize money?

“Maybe I’ll regroup. I really want to play the Asian swing, but sometimes I feel like I don’t want to do it anymore. The tennis is there, but on some important points I missed a few shots that I wouldn’t have missed if I had played a few matches. That’s not the level anyway. It wasn’t a good level from me.

“There were some good level glimpses, but overall I was so frustrated that it took so long because I probably made it worse. That’s the thing, you can’t make it much worse unless it tears, which isn’t that bad.”

Players who lose in the first round of the 2024 US Open will receive $100,000.

Saville could have earned $140,000 if she had made it to the second round.

Saville was suffering from plantar fasciitis in her foot when she competed alongside Ellen Perez in the women’s doubles at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris last month.

They suffered a defeat in the first round against the US pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.