World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka squandered a commanding position to lose 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, ending her bid for a maiden title on clay. Sabalenka led 4-1 in the second set and was two points from victory while serving at 5-4, but lost 12 of the last 13 games in windy conditions, mirroring her collapse against Coco Gauff in last year's final.
Why Sabalenka's loss stings
Sabalenka entered Roland Garros as the overwhelming favourite after Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina all exited early. The four-time major champion had not dropped a set before the quarterfinal and reached the quarterfinals at 14 consecutive major tournaments. After the match, Sabalenka said she wanted to "quit tennis right now" and described falling into a "very deep, dark hole" mentally after the second set, unable to recover despite her commanding start.
Shnaider advances to semifinals
The 22-year-old Shnaider, seeded 25th, earned her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance. Her previous best result at a major was a fourth-round run at the 2024 US Open. She will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who beat No. 22 Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(3), 6-3 to extend her remarkable tournament run. Chwalinska became just the second women's qualifier to reach the French Open semifinals.
Auger-Aliassime falls to Cobolli
Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded fourth, lost to Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the men's quarterfinals. Cobolli's victory ensures Italy will have a finalist on the men's side, as he will face either Matteo Berrettini or Matteo Arnaldi in the semifinals. The strong Italian showing comes despite top-ranked Jannik Sinner exiting in the second round.
Second-seeded Alexander Zverev and No. 26 Jakub Mensik will meet in the other men's semifinal.
Sources
- Sportsnet.ca: Top-seeded Sabalenka loses in French Open quarterfinals. Published 2026-06-03.
- english.aawsat.com: Saibari Nets Double as Morocco Hit Four in World Cup Warm-up. Published 2026-06-03.
- CBS Sports: 2026 French Open results, schedule, draw. Published 2026-06-01.
Reported from public sources.