Tennis star has a unique idea about why Aryna Sabalenka had a tough time at the French Open after her surprising loss.
Women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka faced a surprising loss in the French Open quarter-finals at Roland Garros. She was knocked out 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 by Russia’s 25th seed Diana Shnaider in an intense match on Wednesday.
Sabalenka, 28, had been the favorite after winning against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Elsa Jacquemot, Daria Kasatkina, and Naomi Osaka without losing a set. But she struggled with the windy conditions in Paris, especially in the third set, and her game fell apart after leading strongly in the second.
Former world number one Chris Evert, watching the match for TNT Sports, was shocked by what she saw. “I’ve never seen her up a set and 4-1, playing well, and then suddenly lose her game like that,” Evert said. “This was her dream tournament and she dreamed about this all year. It’s unbelievable to see her lose her feel like that. I don’t think she knows how to play in the wind—it demands good footwork and timing. The wind can really mess with the ball.”
Evert also suggested a possible reason behind Sabalenka’s collapse. Since some top players like Jessica Pegula, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and defending champ Coco Gauff were out, Sabalenka might have felt extra pressure to win the French Open after missing out in past Grand Slam finals. “Maybe she thought, ‘I have to win this now.’ There could be many reasons why it wasn’t her week,” Evert added.
With Sabalenka out, 22-year-old Shnaider will face qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals. Chwalinska, from Poland, recently broke into the top 50 after reaching the quarter-finals and then moved into the top 30 by beating Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets. This is her best major performance, as she had never gone beyond the second round before.
Shnaider also matched her best Grand Slam result by reaching the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year. Both possible finalists are making exciting steps into new territory.
In the other semi-final, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk will meet eighth seed Mirra Andreeva after they won their quarter-final matches against Elina Svitolina and Sorana Cirstea. Like the other two, they are also on their deepest runs ever in a major tournament.