Aryna Sabalenka lost to Diana Shnaider, 6-3, 5-7, 0-6, in the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The Belarusian had one foot in the semi-finals when things unravelled for her on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sabalenka lost 12 of the last 13 games against Shnaider, but what went wrong for the world number one?
What’s next for Aryna Sabalenka after shock French Open exit?
Caroline Wozniacki has now delivered her verdict on Sabalenka’s capitulation.
Caroline Wozniacki thinks Aryna Sabalenka’s belief ‘vanished’ during Roland Garros quarter-final defeat
During TNT Sports’ post-match coverage, Wozniacki shared her thoughts.
“We came into this match expecting big things from [Aryna] Sabalenka, and she came out firing,” said Wozniacki.
“It was windy out there; you could see the wind swirling as this match progressed. Sabalenka was really hitting through the wind. She was hitting aggressive shots with the forehand, and with the backhand, she was moving a lot into the net, playing aggressively. Playing her game.
“She was up 5-1, she had set points, and then you could just start seeing the wind was starting to bother her.
“She won on her second or third set point, and she won the first set 6-3. Then you thought, alright, she’s getting used to these conditions, and everything is going smoothly.
“Then she lost her serve at 4-1 to 4-2… And then [Diana] Shnaider just starts really clawing her way back in; it just seemed like Shnaider had more of a game plan, and Sabalenka was getting more and more nervous and annoyed, looking up at her box…”
Wozniacki then explained what happened in the third set, where Sabalenka didn’t win a single game.
“Shnaider won the first game, then in the second game, they went back and forth. There were a lot of break points saved, and then in the end, it just felt like Sabalenka’s belief vanished,” she said.
“She was playing very stale.
“Her footwork wasn’t working anymore, and then it just looked like it was one-way traffic to Shnaider.
“She disappeared.
“It reminded me a little bit of the finals last year against Coco Gauff, where she came out, won the first set, it was windy, it wasn’t great conditions, and she just disappeared.”
Sabalenka lost to Coco Gauff in last year’s French Open final, having led by a set to love.
The 28-year-old was unable to adapt to the windy conditions on that day either.
If Sabalenka is ever going to win the French Open, she might need to prepare better for the wind.
Sloane Stephens claims she knew Diana Shnaider could cause Aryna Sabalenka problems
Also speaking on TNT Sports, former French Open finalist Sloane Stephens was quick to credit Sabalenka’s opponent, Shnaider.
“She didn’t play like it [was her first Grand Slam quarter-final],” said Stephens.
“She played like she knew exactly what she was doing.
“She did well to bide her time to get herself into the match.
“I said at the beginning that I thought that if she could work her way into the match, and play with her, frustrate her enough by making enough balls, making her play, by using all the different strengths she has, if she could get into a rhythm to do that, she was going to be dangerous today.”
Shnaider was more than dangerous, knocking the top seed and heavy favourite out of Roland Garros.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Diana Shnaider – Match stats
| Stats | Aryna Sabalenka | Diana Shnaider |
| Aces | 2 | 1 |
| Double faults | 3 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 72% | 75% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 57% | 55% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 39% | 72% |
| Break points | 4/5 | 7/20 |
The Russian picked up her first career win over a world number one, advancing to her maiden Grand Slam semi-final.
She will now take on the Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the last four.
