World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka seemed ready to extend her streak in Paris. Instead, her quarterfinal loss changed tennis history in an instant. 

Diana Shnaider defeated Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the French Open quarterfinals on June 3. Sabalenka was the only remaining former Grand Slam winner across men’s and women’s singles. 

Her shocking defeat ensured that neither semifinal would have a previous major winner. An X post from ESPN Stats & Info noted that this became the first major since the 1977 French Open to reach the semifinals without a former champion. 

Sabalenka won the first set 6-3 with ease. She built a 4-1 lead in the second set. She even served for the match at 5-4. However, the difficult conditions caused unpredictable bounces. Shnaider adjusted to the weather much better than her opponent. 

Shnaider broke serve to stay alive. She took the second set 7-5. The third set became dramatic. Shnaider won the final 10 games of the match overall. She closed the decider with a surprising 6-0 score. 

The world number one won only 14 points in that final set. She also committed 57 unforced errors during the match. The top seed entered the event as a four-time major champion. She held an impressive 14-match Grand Slam quarterfinal streak. She was also the runner-up in Paris the previous year. 

In contrast, she faced an opponent with no previous major semifinal experience. This was the first meeting between the two players. This year’s French Open women’s champion will be a first-time Grand Slam winner.

Aryna Sabalenka’s defeat completed a trend rather than starting one

Many noted players got eliminated from the French Open before the quarterfinals. Iga Swiatek lost in the 4th round. Coco Gauff exited in the 3rd round, and Elena Rybakina lost in the 2nd round.

The men’s draw faced its own chaos. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament even began. Jannik Sinner suffered an early exit. 

Novak Djokovic suffered a comeback defeat, and Daniil Medvedev exited in the very first round. Because of this, no former major champion reached the men’s round of 16. 

Shnaider joins qualifier Maja Chwalinska on the women's side. Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva complete the final four. None of these women has ever won a Slam. The women’s semifinals begin on June 4. 

Who has the mental toughness to survive this unpredictable weekend and win their first major trophy? 

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy