World number one Aryna Sabalenka saw her French Open title hopes collapse as she unravelled in a dramatic quarter-final defeat to Diana Shnaider in another major upset at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka, last year’s beaten finalist, was leading 6–3, 4–1 before momentum swung sharply in Shnaider’s favour, sparking an extraordinary turnaround.
The 25th seed, playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, stormed back to win 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 after taking 12 of the final 13 games in a stunning comeback.
Sabalenka, the only Grand Slam champion left in the women’s draw, had been the overwhelming favourite for the title, but now exits the tournament after a turbulent performance.
Windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier disrupted her rhythm, with the Belarusian committing 57 unforced errors as frustration visibly grew during the match.
Her defeat leaves Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva as the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.
“I am honestly speechless,” Shnaider said. “She is the world number one, so I was just trying to do my best. I had to fight for every point.”
Shnaider will now face qualifier Maja Chwalińska in a surprise semi-final matchup after the Pole’s win over Anna Kalinskaya earlier in the day.
