Aryna Sabalenka will continue at the top of the WTA ranking, but her wait for her first Roland Garros title will last longer: the Belarusian player has lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to the 22-year-old Russian player Diana Shnaider, 25th seed in the French Open, as she failed to remain in control in windy conditions. Sabalenka took the first set and was leading 4-1 in the second set, but Shnaider achieved a stunning comeback to push the match to the third set.
And then, something almost unheard happened: Sabalenka was crushed, losing a set 6-0 for the first time since 2024, in a match in Dubai against Donna Vekic. Shnaider remained in control while Sabalenka was desperate, unable to respond to Shnaider's left forehand.
<social>https://x.com/Sabanewsss/status/2062168516828991862</social>
Sabalenka, who reached the final last year but lost to Coco Gauff, goes home while Shnaider sets up an unexpected semi-final against the Polish player Maja Chwalinska, ranked 114 in the world, who has enjoyed a fairy tale run becoming the second qualifier in the Open Era to make the women's semifinals in Paris, including defeating four-time champion Iga Swiatek.
It is now sure that the Roland Garros 2026 winners will be first-time champions in both women's and men's singles, with the other semi-finalists being Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva.