Sabalenka’s Grand Slam reign ends in shock Roland-Garros quarter-final defeat
The Belarusian’s loss marks her earliest Grand Slam exit since 2023 and prevents a historic run to seven consecutive major semi-finals.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s campaign at the French Open concluded abruptly in the quarter-finals following a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat to Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider. The result on Court Philippe-Chatrier marks the earliest Grand Slam exit for the Belarusian since 2023, ending her tournament run in the first week of the event for the first time in recent memory.
Entering the match as the overwhelming favourite and the only Grand Slam champion remaining in either the men’s or women’s singles draws, Sabalenka held a commanding 6-3, 4-1 lead in the second set. However, the momentum shifted dramatically as Shnaider won 12 of the final 13 games to secure the victory in blustery conditions.
Sabalenka committed 57 unforced errors during the contest, a statistic that mirrored her performance in the 2025 final where she tallied 70 unforced errors in a loss to Coco Gauff. The Belarusian cited windy conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier as a significant factor disrupting her powerful hitting style, with frustration visibly evident throughout the collapse.
The loss prevents Sabalenka from becoming the first woman to make seven straight major semi-finals since Serena Williams. She had reached 14 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals, but failed to extend the streak after being eliminated by a player who had never previously reached a major quarter-final.
Shnaider, playing in her first major quarter-final, described herself as "speechless" and noted the difficulty of adjusting to Sabalenka’s game in the wind. She will advance to the semi-finals to face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, with the winner set to meet either Marta Kostyuk or Mirra Andreeva in the final.
