Aryna Sabalenka Turns In A Textbook Meltdown At The French Open

Both No. 1 seeds in men's and women's singles have now exited Roland-Garros after running the scoreboard right up to the threshold of victory and then suffering bizarre, ignominious collapse. A week after Jannik Sinner seized up, it was Aryna Sabalenka's turn to cave in. Sabalenka was up 6-3, 4-1 on Diana Shnaider in Wednesday's quarterfinal, and leading her service game 30-0. From there, Sabalenka won just one more game in the match. She had a chance to serve it out at 5-4, and got within two points of victory, but after missing a putaway volley, she spiritually vanished from the premises. The husk of Sabalenka which remained on court blew 10 consecutive games to conclude a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Shnaider, the No. 25 seed and a punchy 22-year-old lefty who had never previously advanced beyond the second round of this tournament. Sabalenka's loss ensures that there will be a first-time French Open champion in the women's draw, just as in the men's. An inexplicable Sabalenka collapse while holding a big lead at Roland-Garros in windy conditions—why does that sound familiar? It was the exact outcome of the 2025 final, too. Last year, some combination of gusts and Coco Gauff's indefatigable defense unwound Sabalenka's game. This year, the loss of form came two rounds earlier in the tournament, and it was even more sudden and stark. For the back half of this match, Sabalenka's side of the court was a symphony of screams and errors. Nothing worked.