Unbelievable: Shnaider beats Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 after the world No. 1 implodes serving for the match

It was impossible, so it happened. Diana Shnaider, the Russian 25th seed, beat top seed and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday afternoon to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career — recovering from 1-4 down in the second set, from a position in which Sabalenka had served for the match at 5-4 and stood twice two points from victory.

From 1-4 down in the second, Shnaider won the rest of the match 6-1, 6-0 against the overwhelming favourite of the draw. Sabalenka finished with 57 unforced errors, some more surreal than others.

The world No. 1, who reached the 2025 Roland-Garros final against Coco Gauff and was the heavy favourite to win this one after the eliminations of Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina from the women’s draw, is out.

The match opened on Sabalenka’s terms. She broke twice in the opening set to take it 6-3, found her serve and her aggression, and built a 4-1 lead in the second set that suggested the contest would be over inside an hour and a half.

The third set away

Then Sabalenka’s nerve broke. The world No. 1, 4-1 up in the second set, began to find errors she had not found in the first, and Shnaider – playing with spin and variation rather than power-for-power – took her chance with no mercy.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who plays with spin and variation rather than power-for-power against the world No. 1, broke back, held to 4-3, broke again to level it. Sabalenka, who had served for the match at 5-4 with a chance to close out a routine win, was held to deuce, broken back, and watched the second set run away from her at 5-7.

The third said was a nightmare on red clay for Sabalenka. Shnaider broke at 1-0 and again at 2-0, and Sabalenka — visibly distressed on her chair, head in her towel between points — could not stop the slide. The bagel finished the match in 27 minutes from there.

Semi-final: Chwalińska – Shnaider

It is Shnaider’s first win over a world No. 1, her second career top-10 win, and her first since 2024. With her win over American 19th seed Madison Keys in the round of 16, she has now produced back-to-back wins over Grand Slam champions for the first time in her career.

The 22-year-old Russian, ranked No. 23 in the world, has reached a stage of the tournament her form lines had not suggested possible against the player she just beat. She will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska, the world No. 114, in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Sabalenka, who had been the heavy title favourite in a draw that lost Świątek, Gauff, Rybakina and the defending champion well before the round of eight, leaves Paris with the second consecutive Grand Slam she has not won — after losing the Australian Open final to Rybakina in January. The trophy she has been the favourite to lift since the third round will go to someone else. Mirra Andreeva is now the best ranked in the draw before her semifinal against Kostyuk.