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And that will do it for Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros.
The world No.1 bowed out of the French Open in stunning fashion on Wednesday after looking set to sail into the semi-finals of the Grand Slam.
After winning the opening set against Russia’s Diana Shnaider 6-3, Sabalenka took a 5-3 lead in the second set, needing to win just one game to punch her ticket into the semi-finals. The match felt all but over for the Belarusian, but then came the shocking meltdown.
Aryna Sabalenka reacts during the women’s singles quarterfinal match against Diana Shnaider on the eleventh day of the French Open at Philippe-Chatrier Court in Paris, France, June 3, 2026. (Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Shnaider somehow managed to claw back to take the second set 7-5, and with every ounce of momentum on her side, she stared down the best player on the planet in the decisive third set, not dropping a single game.
One of the main turning points of the match came in a deuce situation in the second game of the third set, where Sabalenka held serve.
Aryna Sabalenka reacts against Diana Shnaider during their Women’s Singles quarterfinal match on day eleven of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2026 in Paris, France. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
After Sabalenka managed to squeeze a forehand over the net, Shnaider came to the ball and left her opponent completely flat-footed on the service line. The four-time Grand Slam winner was left stunned by the shot Shnaider pulled off, simply throwing his hands up in the air in disbelief.
Shnaider, who played collegiately at NC State before turning pro in 2023, will play in the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career against Poland’s Maja Chwalinska.
The Russian, ranked 23rd in the world, will be favorite with a place in the final on the line, while Chwalinska is ranked outside the top 100.
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Aryna Sabalenka reacts as she is about to be defeated by Diana Shnaider in their quarterfinal match during day eleven of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2026 in Paris, France. (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
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While Shnaider’s win over Sabalenka is a major upset, shock results have been a theme for the 2026 French Open.
On the men’s side, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner lost in the second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo despite taking the first two sets of the match.
The top-seeded player remaining on the women’s side is No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, while No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev is favorite to win the men’s side ahead of his semi-final match.
