Top seed Aryna Sabalenka lost 11 of the final 12 games of her French Open quarter-final against Diana Shnaider, collapsing from a commanding 6-3, 4-1 lead to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat that ranks among the most dramatic reversals in recent grand slam history. The world No 1 had even served for the match at 5-4 in the second set; what followed was a complete unravelling that leaves the women’s draw without a single previous major champion.
Sabalenka’s meltdown was rooted in the same tension that has periodically sabotaged her in the biggest moments. She finished with 57 unforced errors, the vast majority committed after she had seized control. It was the earliest grand slam exit in two years for the four-time major winner, and observers noted the parallels with her last‑year French Open final loss to Coco Gauff, as well as nervy defeats to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final, Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi‑finals and, indeed, to Gauff in Paris twelve months ago. Those jitters appeared again as the wind swirled over Court Philippe‑Chatrier: a double fault handed Shnaider a break back, an overhit drop shot conceded another, and by the time she faced match point she was rooted to the clay, unable to move her feet. “She’s screaming to the glowering skies,” the match report noted. Yet even then, after saving two match points with vintage aggression, a netted forehand on the third ended the contest.
Shnaider, the 25th seed, deserves equal billing for what she described as the “day of her life”. The Russian left‑hander never stopped believing. As Sabalenka’s errors mounted, Shnaider locked down her game, cutting out mistakes and maintaining immaculate depth. Her wicked forehand down the line became the shot of the match, repeatedly flashing past the world No 1 on break points – including the crucial one that levelled the second set at 5-5. “In the third set I finally found my rhythm,” Shnaider said afterwards. “I should have been aiming for that from the beginning.” She powered through the decider 6-0, a feat she had also achieved against Keys in the previous round. The victory, her first over a world No 1, books a maiden grand slam semi‑final.
Guaranteed first‑time champion
The women’s draw is now guaranteed a first‑time grand slam singles champion. Shnaider will face unseeded Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, the second Polish woman after Iga Swiatek to reach a French Open semi‑final. The other half of the draw features the 19‑year‑old Mirra Andreeva, who has broken Coco Gauff’s record for most French Open match wins by a teenager in the 21st century (16), against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who extended her winning streak to 17 matches with a quarter‑final victory over Elina Svitolina. Kostyuk became the first Ukrainian woman in the Open Era to reach a French Open semi‑final.
The obliteration of the top seed is the latest upheaval in a tournament already stripped of its biggest names. In the men’s singles, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have all departed, leaving the draw wide open. For Sabalenka, the search for a major title away from hard courts continues; her four grand slams all came on the faster surface. The loss also comes against a backdrop of growing player unrest over prize money. Sabalenka had previously suggested players might eventually have to boycott grand slams, and alongside Jannik Sinner she initiated a media boycott during pre‑tournament availability. Player representatives, led by former WTA chief executive Larry Scott, met Wimbledon officials at Roland Garros this week to discuss the dispute. The All England Club said the talks were “positive” and noted that an announcement on this year’s prize money, due next Thursday, would be a critical moment, with players expecting a significant increase on the £53.5 million offered last year.
For Shnaider, however, the immediate focus is purely on the clay. “It’s going to be a lefty battle,” she said of the semi‑final against Chwalinska. “I’m looking forward to it.” The 25th seed goes into that match as the favourite – a position few would have forecast when the tournament began.
