World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shocking exit from the 2026 French Open after throwing away a commanding lead in her quarter-final against Diana Shnaider of Russia, who stormed back to claim a memorable 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory and reach her first Grand Slam semi-final.
Sablenka seems to be firmly in control on the Court Philippe-Chatrier, taking the opening set and getting a double break advantage in the second set. With the Belarusians leading 5-1, a semi-final berth seemed inevitable. However, Shnaider produced a surprising turnaround, capitalising on the growing errors of Sablenka and difficult windy conditions to reel off the six straight games and force a deciding set.
The momentum shift proved quite decisive. Shnaider dominated the final set, winning. The momentum shift proved decisive. Shnaider dominated the final set, winning 6-0 and completing one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Remarkably, she captured the last 10 games of the match after trailing by a set and two breaks.
The defeat was particularly painful for Sablenka, who had entered the Roland Garros as one of the favourites for the title and was looking for her first French Open crown. The loss also ended her run of six consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearances.
After the match, an emotional Sabalenka admitted she was struggling mentally after the collapse. She expressed frustration with the windy conditions and even remarked that she felt like quitting tennis in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, though she hoped to regain her focus in the coming few days.
For Shnaider, the victory marks the biggest moment of her career. The 25h seed had never previously faced Sablenka and showed remarkable resilience to recover from the brink of defeat . Her reward is a place in the French Open semi-finals, where she will look to continue her dream run and move one step closer to a maiden Grand Slam title.
Sources: India Today | Roland Garros 2026
