Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out of the French Open on a blustery Wednesday at Roland Garros, as Diana Shnaider staged a spirited comeback to defeat the world No. 1 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 and further open up the draw heading into the semifinals.
The upset adds to a tournament already defined by surprises, with defending champion Coco Gauff and four-time winner Iga Swiatek both exiting earlier than expected. Sabalenka’s defeat delivered another major shake-up in a field that has repeatedly been turned upside down.
With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic also bowing out early, it marks the first time since the 1977 Roland Garros that no Grand Slam champions will feature in the semifinals of a major.
"No thoughts, no emotions. I just want to quit tennis now," a downbeat Sabalenka told reporters after her defeat. "We'll see in a few days. Hopefully I'll get back on track mentally.
"I don't know when was the last time that happened to me that I lost 10 games in a row. I guess mentally I got into a very deep, dark hole there, and I just couldn't get back on track."
While Sabalenka was left to rue her missed chances after going a set and a break up and being two points from victory, Shnaider said she had taken lessons from the Belarusian’s struggles in last year’s wind-hit final.
Super windy
Sabalenka produced a litany of unforced errors in similarly tricky conditions 12 months ago to lose the title match.
"Of course I knew in the final last year it was super windy," Shnaider said.
"I had that thought in the back of my mind that she was struggling with Coco last year. I was like, 'yeah, I’ve got to use this opportunity, I need to just adjust.'
"I was starting to step in more on her second serve, putting pressure. She got a couple of unforced errors here and there and the momentum was shifting a bit toward my side.
"I believed more in myself."
Shnaider will continue to believe she can progress to her maiden Grand Slam final when she takes on Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who continued her Paris dream run with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.
Swiatek shadow
Chwalinska will have the chance to step out of compatriot Swiatek’s shadow and earn a much bigger windfall, having already collected $870,000 for her semifinal run, more than she has earned during her entire career.
"I feel like for some reason I don't process it. I’m just focusing on every single match. I honestly don't feel like it's a huge moment for me," Chwalinska said.
"But after the tournament finishes, I'll have time to be grateful for what happened and process it as well. For now, I'm happy, but I know that I need to focus on the job."
As Chwalinska focused on staying in the moment, Flavio Cobolli showed similar composure to navigate tricky conditions and surge into his maiden Grand Slam semifinal with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Cobolli, among the Italian men looking to shine in Sinner’s absence, lost the opening set and came back from 1-3 down in the next when conditions shifted after the roof was closed in anticipation of rain.
He then pulled away from his Canadian opponent before discussing the superstitious habits that have helped his run in Paris, including using 14-time champion Rafael Nadal’s preferred locker room shower stall.
"I'm a little bit superstitious, but not crazy," the 10th seed said. "But this week, I'm a little more crazy than usual. I go to the same restaurant, same menu, same shower.
"Actually, I think I said in the first news conference that I used the same shower as Rafa, because I had memories with that shower. He told me it has been his shower for 14 years.
"So the best thing I'm doing this year is the shower."
He faces fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who advanced when Matteo Berrettini retired with a hip injury while trailing 7-5, 5-2.
"Definitely not the match I was expecting or wanted to see. But I'm definitely happy with my performance and how the tournament is going," Arnaldi said.
"It's crazy to think I'm in the semifinals. I feel sorry for Matteo. We practice a lot together in Monte Carlo. It's tough to see him like that, but he played an amazing tournament.
"He came back to a great level, and now it's going to be the grass season for him where he plays his best tennis. I'm sure he'll come back stronger."