French Open: Sabalenka's Grand Slam hopes dashed again in Paris defeat

Aryna Sabalenka's quest for a French Open title has once again been thwarted, with the world number one suffering a surprising quarter-final defeat to Russia's Diana Shnaider. The 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss marks another missed opportunity for Sabalenka on the Parisian clay.

Sabalenka entered the match as the overwhelming favorite, particularly with other major champions out of the draw. She appeared to be in control, holding a set and a significant double break advantage in the second set. However, Shnaider mounted a remarkable comeback, taking the second set and then dominating the final set to secure the biggest win of her career.

The Belarusian has been a dominant force in women's tennis for the past two years, amassing 11 WTA titles and holding the top ranking for 93 weeks. Despite this success, questions linger about her Grand Slam singles title count, with some observers feeling she has not capitalized fully on her periods of superiority. Sabalenka herself acknowledged the pressure, suggesting her focus on winning at Roland Garros might be contributing to overthinking and emotional play.

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Maybe I’m focusing too much that I’ve never won a Slam [here]. Maybe it makes me overthink and over-emotional.