Russian rising star Diana Schneider knocks out World No. 1 Sabalenka
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a stunning French Open quarter-final defeat to Russia’s Diana Schneider, who rallied from a set down to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final and end the Belarusian’s bid for a maiden Roland Garros title.
Russian Diana Schneider (seeded 25th) knocked out World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, secured the biggest victory of her career and advanced to her first Grand Slam semi-final, although the Belarusian was considered the overwhelming favourite following the early exits of several top contenders.
Sabalenka appeared to be in control after winning the opening set and building a double-break advantage in the second. However, Schneider mounted an impressive comeback, turning the match around before dominating the deciding set.
The defeat marks Sabalenka’s earliest exit from a Grand Slam tournament in two years and ends her run of 14 consecutive major quarter-final appearances.
Speaking after the match, Sabalenka admitted she struggled mentally after letting the second set slip away.
“I messed up, then she stepped up and played brilliantly. I feel like mentally I couldn’t recover after the second set,” she said.
The Belarusian added that she fell into “a very deep and dark hole” mentally and was unable to regain her focus as Schneider won the final ten games of the match.
The loss evoked memories of last year’s French Open final, when Sabalenka surrendered a one-set lead before losing to American Coco Gauff.
For Schneider, the victory represents a breakthrough moment. The 22-year-old had never progressed beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam before this year’s tournament and had only once previously defeated a top-10 player.
“Honestly, I’m speechless. I’m so happy,” Schneider said after the match. “It was my first time playing Aryna, so there was a lot of tension, especially at the beginning.”
She credited her ability to adapt to Sabalenka’s power and remain composed in difficult, windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Schneider will now face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals after Chwalinska defeated Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets.
With Sabalenka’s exit, the women’s draw has been thrown wide open, as the last remaining Grand Slam singles champion in the tournament departs before the final four.
