World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s quest for a maiden French Open title came to a dramatic end on Wednesday after she squandered a commanding lead to suffer a shock quarter-final defeat against Russia’s Diana Shnaider.
Sabalenka appeared to be in complete control of the contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier, having taken the opening set and established a double-break advantage in the second. However, the Belarusian’s game unravelled amid difficult, blustery conditions as she succumbed to a remarkable 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat.
The top seed struggled with consistency throughout the latter stages of the match, committing an astonishing 57 unforced errors as Shnaider mounted an impressive comeback to secure the biggest victory of her career.
The 25th-seeded Russian, competing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, showed resilience and composure to turn the match around and book a place in the semi-finals. She will next face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, ranked 114th in the world, for a spot in the final.
Sabalenka entered the quarter-finals as the only Grand Slam singles champion remaining in either the men’s or women’s draw. However, her performance echoed last year’s French Open final, where she also surrendered a strong position before losing to Coco Gauff.
With the victory, Shnaider has emerged as one of the favourites to reach the championship match as the tournament heads into its decisive stages.
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