Aryna Sabalenka crashes out of French Open after loss to Diana Shnaider

PARIS – With her main rivals Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina all exiting the French Open early, the title was all for the taking for world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

But on June 3, the Belarusian joined the exodus of top seeds as she crashed out to Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, who lost the Australian Open final to Rybakina in January, has now also failed to go one step further than her runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2025.

Shnaider was an underdog, but the left-hander beat former Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in the last round and is more than capable of competing at this level.

To put it into context, the 22-year-old had trailed 5-3 in the second set before fighting back to win 10 games in a row and shutting Sabalenka out in the decider.

Shnaider has now defeated two Slam champions back to back and reached her first Major semi-final. It was also her first win over a world No. 1 and just her second career top-10 win.

“I’m speechless,” she said.

“I’m super happy, obviously very tough conditions with the wind, first time playing Aryna, I was very nervous. First set, I was trying to adjust to her game and the conditions. In the third set, I finally found my rhythm – I should have been aiming for that for the beginning!”

She will next take on Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who also continued her dream run by reaching the semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory over Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya earlier.

The 24-year-old absorbed the power of the 22nd seed superbly, repeatedly forcing her opponent into errors as she became only the second qualifier in the Open era to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals – and the sixth to achieve the feat at a Grand Slam.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going on. I know I repeat myself but every single match here is kind of crazy for me, so I’m very grateful,” Chwalinska said.

“I just try to win every match that I’m playing.”

On facing the Pole in the most unlikely of semi-finals, Shnaider said: “It’s going to be a lefty battle. I’m looking forward to it.”

In the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev insisted he is just focused on his upcoming semi-final rather than on being the favourite to win a first Slam, after he laid down a marker on June 2 with a victory over Rafael Jodar.

With the crushing 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-3 win over the 19-year-old Spaniard, the German advanced to his fifth Roland Garros semi-final in the last six years.

The second seed is considered the heavy favourite to win his first Major title in Paris, following the shock early departures of top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic last week.

Zverev, 29, has finished as runner-up thrice in Slam finals, including at Roland Garros in 2024, and knows the pressure is firmly on him as he bids to shake off his unwanted title of tennis’ “nearly man”.

“As I said before, I don’t particularly care (about being the favourite),” he said. “I focus on next match, and I focus on the opponent as they cross the net, and that’s the only thing that I can control.”

His next opponent will be a first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, 20-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik.

“We have fantastic players that are young on the tour right now, we have a lot of potential on the tour right now. But, again, I have to trust myself, trust my game and focus on my job,” added Zverev. AFP, REUTERS