Sabalenka exits Roland Garros after collapse to Shnaider

Aryna Sabalenka, the world No. 1 and last year's finalist, was eliminated from Roland Garros on Wednesday after a dramatic collapse against Diana Shnaider of Russia.

Sabalenka held a commanding position in the match, winning the first set 6-3 and leading 5-3 in the second. However, she then experienced a sharp decline in performance. Shnaider won 10 consecutive games to claim the second set 7-5 and dominated the third set 6-0, finishing the match in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

The match took place on the central court in Paris under cloudy conditions with strong wind. Sabalenka's collapse followed what sources described as a tactical error and frustration with the windy conditions. She served for the match at one point but was unable to close it out.

Shnaider, ranked 23rd in the world, advanced to the semifinals. The Russian had won only two matches at Roland Garros prior to this year. She will face Poland's Maja Chwalinska in the semifinal round.

Chwalinska, ranked 114th, reached the semifinals after defeating Russia's Anna Kalinskaya, ranked 25th, with a score of 7-6(3), 6-3. Chwalinska came through the qualifying rounds to reach this stage.

Sabalenka's exit marks another significant upset at this year's Roland Garros. Earlier in the tournament, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from his match, and four-time champion Iga Swiatek was also eliminated. Multiple top-seeded players and top-10 ranked competitors have fallen out of the draw.

The loss marked Sabalenka's first 6-0 set defeat in more than two years and her first such loss on clay in four years.