With strong contenders like Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina exiting early, Sabalenka was considered a strong favorite for the championship. The Belarusian player started well on Philippe Chatrier court, winning the first set 6-3 and leading 4-1 in the second set, before losing her advantage to number 25 seed Diana Shnaider.

Sabalenka disappointed in the third set of her Roland Garros quarterfinal match, on Philippe Chatrier court, Paris, France on 3/6. *Reuters*

From that point, Shnaider played explosively, consistently pressuring with precise groundstrokes from the baseline. The Russian player won six of seven consecutive games in the second set to level the match.

In the deciding set, Sabalenka completely lost her rhythm. The four-time Grand Slam champion made repeated unforced errors, while Shnaider maintained consistency in long rallies. The 22-year-old player won the set 6-0, completing the comeback after over two hours of play.

This was the first time since early 2024 that Sabalenka lost a set 0-6. The defeat not only cost her a chance at her first clay court Grand Slam title but also left a psychological impact.

"I don't want to think about anything. Right now, I just want to step away from tennis. Maybe in a few days, things will be different. I hope to regain my mental stability soon," Sabalenka said during the post-match press conference on 3/6.

The world number one also expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to open the stadium roof in strong winds. "I don't understand why they opened the roof with such strong winds," she stated. "However, I can't really blame the playing conditions, because for most of the match, things were going my way before everything suddenly changed. Perhaps the problem lies with my mental state."

Sabalenka embraces Shnaider after their Roland Garros quarterfinal match, on Philippe Chatrier court, Paris, France on 3/6. *Reuters*

Recalling a similar situation at last year's Roland Garros, Sabalenka felt the organizers were inconsistent in their roof management. "Last year, they also opened the roof during my match," she mentioned. "But the next day, under similar weather conditions, the men's matches were played with the roof closed, expecting higher quality tennis. I don't understand their criteria."

Sabalenka had previously lost to Coco Gauff in last year's final, making numerous unforced errors in strong winds. According to the Belarusian player, opening the roof in strong winds significantly impacts match quality: "Even when I was leading against Shnaider, I still felt it was terrible tennis. I genuinely don't understand why spectators would want to watch such a match."

Shnaider defeated a world number one for the first time and reached a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. Earlier, the Russian player had also eliminated former Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

In today's semifinal on 4/6, Shnaider will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who continued her impressive run with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Anna Kalinskaya. The first semifinal will be a clash between Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk, scheduled for 8 PM (Hanoi time).

In the men's singles, the two semifinal matchups have also been set and will take place on 5/6. Alexander Zverev will meet young talent Jakub Mensik, while Flavio Cobolli will face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi.

Vy Anh