Sabalenka's stunning meltdown
Aryna Sabalenka was in control. The world number one led 6-3, 4-1 against Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarterfinals on Wednesday. Then it all fell apart. Shnaider won 12 of the remaining 13 games, closing out the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sabalenka finished with 57 unforced errors, many of them dumped into the net or flying long in blustery conditions. She threw her arms up in frustration, shouted at her coaching box, and could not find a way to stop the momentum shift. "I fell into a very deep, dark hole mentally," she said after the match.
Shnaider's breakthrough
For Shnaider, 23, the victory was a career-defining moment. Playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, the Russian 25th seed kept her composure as Sabalenka unraveled. "I'm speechless, I'm super happy," Shnaider said. "I had to fight for every point." She fired blistering forehand winners and moved Sabalenka around the court with smart, patient rallies in the second and third sets.
Shnaider will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semifinals. The other semi features eighth seed Mirra Andreeva against 15th seed Marta Kostyuk.
A tournament of upsets
Sabalenka's exit continues a pattern of shocks at Roland Garros. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek and defending champion Coco Gauff were eliminated earlier in the tournament. With Sabalenka's loss, no former Grand Slam champion remains in either the men's or women's singles draw — a first at a major since the 1977 French Open.
The quarterfinal collapse also mirrors Sabalenka's loss in the 2025 French Open final, where she made 70 unforced errors against Gauff. Despite holding the world number one ranking and four Grand Slam titles, Sabalenka has now lost leads in three of her last four major defeats.