World No. 1 Sabalenka Lost 12 of 13 Games and Her French Open Streak Is GONE

Okay, Seattle, you are NOT going to believe what went down in Paris today. The French Open just delivered a shocker that's going to ripple through the tennis world! World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a four-time major winner, got absolutely stunned in the quarterfinals, losing to the 25th seed, Diana Shnaider. And when I say stunned, I mean a complete, unbelievable collapse.

A World No. 1 Completely Crumbles

Picture this: Sabalenka is up a set, then she's got two breaks in the second, leading 4-1. She's serving for the match at 5-4, basically cruising, right? WRONG. Diana Shnaider, the 22-year-old from Russia, flipped a switch and went on an INSANE run. She won 12 of the next 13 games, snatching the second set 7-5 and then blanking Sabalenka 6-0 in the decider. The final score: a jaw-dropping 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in just over two hours. That's not just a loss, that's a meltdown for the ages. Sabalenka racked up a shocking 57 unforced errors, 30 more than Shnaider, and totally lost her composure when it mattered most. This loss snaps Sabalenka's incredible streak of six consecutive major semifinals. SIX! Gone, just like that.

Nerves, Wind, and Pure Grit: Shnaider and Chwalinska Take Over

How did Shnaider do it? She admitted to being "super nervous" and facing "tough conditions with the wind" and "a lot of nerves" in her first-ever quarterfinals. She said she focused "point by point, not thinking about the score," just trying to do her "best to the end." Talk about fighting for every ball! Her grit paid off big time. And get this: Shnaider's next opponent is going to be another underdog story, Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska. Ranked No. 114 in the world, Chwalinska has been on a tear, continuing her "sterling run" through the clay-court tournament. She battled past 22nd-seeded Anna Kalinskaya with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory, even letting a 5-1 lead slip in the first set before winning a "spirited tiebreaker." Chwalinska is only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach the semifinals in Paris. Her goal for the year was just to be "top 100," and here she is, in the French Open semis! She’s "very proud" she "stayed composed" when Kalinskaya ramped up the aggression. It's a battle out there, and these two are showing up. So, Shnaider vs. Chwalinska is the matchup we're all looking forward to. The other semifinal pits eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva against No. 15 Marta Kostyuk. Who knew the French Open quarterfinals would bring THIS kind of drama? The stakes are sky-high for all these players fighting for a spot in the final. We're going to be glued to the screen, folks, because anything can happen when the pressure is on!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.