In a dramatic turnaround on Court Philippe Chatrier, world number one Aryna Sabalenka collapsed against Diana Shnaider, bowing out of the French Open in the quarter-finals as her title bid spectacularly imploded.
The Belarusian, runner-up at Roland Garros last year, looked firmly in control after taking the first set 6-3 and moving 4-1 ahead in the second. But from that point, the match flipped entirely.
Shnaider, the 25th seed from Russia playing in her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final, produced the comeback of her career. She won 12 of the next 13 games, closing out a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory that ranks among the biggest upsets of the tournament.
With Sabalenka’s defeat, the last remaining Grand Slam singles champion in the women’s draw was eliminated. That leaves eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva as the highest-ranked player still standing.
Gusty winds on the main court disrupted Sabalenka’s typically ferocious groundstrokes, leading to 57 unforced errors. Her frustration boiled over repeatedly—she threw up her arms, roared in anguish, and directed angry gestures toward her coaching box.
The scene evoked memories of her loss in last year’s final, when she also surrendered a one-set lead and piled up 70 unforced errors against Coco Gauff.
“Honestly, I have no words,” Shnaider said afterward. “She’s the world number one, so I just tried to give everything. I had to fight on every single point.”
Next up for Shnaider is an unexpected semi-final against Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who earlier defeated Anna Kalinskaya to continue her own stunning run.
