Diana Shnaider, ranked World No. 25, pulled off a sensational upset at the French Open 2026, defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. After dropping the first set, Shnaider staged a stunning comeback to reach her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at 22 years old.
The World No.25 and Russian tennis player Diana Shnaider pulled off a major upset by defeating World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinal of the women’s singles at the French Open 2026 on Wednesday, June 3.
Daina defeated Sabalenka in three sets – 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, to advance to her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. This was her second match in the ongoing edition of the French Open, where he lost a set, with her resilient comeback in the second and dominant performance in the deciding third set marking a career-defining moment for the 22-year-old rising star.
The Russian tennis player was dominated by the four-time Grand Slam champion in the opening set, struggling to find her rhythm as Sabalenka asserted her power and forced the young challenger onto the defensive. However, Diana Shnaider bounced back in the second, leveraging a surge of unforced errors by the Belarusian to break back and eventually turn the tide, ultimately reeling off 12 of the final 13 games to complete a monumental upset.
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‘Honestly, I’m Speechless’
Following a career-defining victory over Aryna Sabalenka, Diana Shnaider expressed her sheer disbelief over defeating the World No.1, admitting that the enormity of the win on such a grand stage had yet to fully sink in.
“Honestly, I’m speechless. I’m super happy. Obviously, today a little tough conditions with the wind. First time playing Aryna. Super nervous. Playing the quarterfinals for the first time,” Shnaider told the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“The first set, I was just kind of trying to adjust to her game. Then to the conditions and to the wind. Trying to figure out how to play. I was just trying to focus point by point, not think about the score. I was like, it’s ok, it’s tough conditions.
“She’s the world #1. So I’ll just try to do my best til the end and see how it goes. I just fought for every point. Try to run for every ball and make it extra into the court,” she added.
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Aryna Sabalenka had an impressive run at the French Open 2026, having not lost a single set in the first rounds, before her quest for the maiden Roland Garros triumph came to a sudden halt following a dramatic collapse in the quarterfinals against Diana Shnaider. Despite appearing to be in complete control with a set and a double-break lead, Sabalenka was unable to fend off the surging 25th seed, ultimately falling 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Who is Diana Shnaider?
Diana Shnaider was born in Zhigulevsk to a lawyer father, Maxim, who is a former boxer, and a mother, Yulia, who is an English teacher. Diana started playing tennis at the age of 4 and began to pursue the sport seriously at the age of 8 by joining a tennis academy in Moscow, where she trained under the coach Samvel Minasyan.
In 2022, Diana moved to the United States of America (USA) and enrolled at North Carolina State University, where she played for the NC State Wolfpack in college tennis. Before moving to the USA, Daina was already a three-time junior doubles Grand Slam champion, having won the Wimbledon and the US Open in 2021 and the Australian Open in 2022.
In May 2023, Diana Shnaider turned professional, and the following year, she achieved a historic feat by becoming the youngest player to win WTA titles on all three surfaces at the age of 20, while breaking into the top 20. That year, Diana won her maiden Olympic medal by winning Silver at the Paris Games.
Diana Shnaider made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2023 Australian Open and, thereafter, quickly established herself as a consistent presence on the major stage. At the French Open this year, she has achieved her highest Grand Slam milestone to date, reaching the semifinals by defeating Aryna Sabalenka.
Diana Shnaider will look to qualify for her maiden Grand Slam final when she takes on Maja Chwalinska of Poland in the semifinal on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday, June 4.
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