Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a first French Open title ended in dramatic fashion on Wednesday as the world number one suffered a stunning quarter-final defeat by Diana Shnaider at Roland Garros. Sabalenka appeared to be in full control when she led 6-3, 4-1, but her level collapsed as Shnaider produced a remarkable turnaround to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 and reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
The result was one of the biggest shocks of this year’s tournament and left the women’s draw wide open. Sabalenka had entered the match as the only Grand Slam singles champion still standing and the clear favourite to lift the trophy, especially after reaching last year’s final in Paris. Instead, the Belarusian was undone by a combination of windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier and a surge of errors at key moments. She finished with 57 unforced errors and repeatedly showed her frustration as the match slipped away, at times venting anger toward her team.
Shnaider, the 25th seed, stayed composed under pressure and gradually turned the contest around. Playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, the Russian won 12 of the final 13 games, overpowering Sabalenka as the top seed’s game unraveled. The final set was one-sided, with Shnaider completing the comeback by racing through a 6-0 decider.
Sabalenka’s exit follows a familiar pattern at Roland Garros, where she also let a strong position slip in last year’s final against Coco Gauff. On that occasion, she committed 70 unforced errors in a three-set loss after winning the opening set. This latest defeat again highlighted her struggle to maintain control in difficult conditions and under mounting pressure.
After the match, Shnaider said she was “speechless” at beating the world number one and described how she focused on fighting for every point. Her victory sets up an unexpected semi-final against qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who earlier on Wednesday defeated Anna Kalinskaya. The result means Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva is now the highest-ranked player remaining in the women’s draw, underlining how unpredictable the tournament has become.
Sabalenka’s elimination removes the last major champion from the women’s competition and opens the door for a new French Open finalist to emerge from a field full of surprises.
