A furious Aryna Sabalenka suffered a complete French Open meltdown as her hopes of winning a fifth Grand Slam were blown away by the Roland Garros wind.
The world number lost 12 of the last 13 games in defeat to Russian Diana Shnaider to crash out despite being just two points away from victory and a place in the semi-final.
Sabalenka was even forced to apologise as she booted a ball in frustration after a missed first serve that flew towards a line judge and ball kids and bounced into the crowd.
The 28-year-old was cruising until the fierce winds whipped up around Philippe Chatrier and the increasingly-annoyed Sabalenka constantly stopped to wave dust away from her face.
Aryna Sabalenka has crashed out of the French Open in a stunning result for the world No 1
Sabalenka’s defeat comes after Jannik Sinner crashed out in the searing Parisian heat
At one point Sabalenka was so enraged at hitting the ball into the net that she screamed at the top of her voice, leading the fans to give her a round of applause in support.
She said: ‘No thoughts, no emotions. I just want to quit tennis right now… but we’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I can get back on track, mentally.’
Sabalenka was cruising as led 4-1 in the second set after taking the first 6-3 but went on to suffer her first bagel since 2024 in the decider.
‘Honestly, I am speechless,’ said Shnaider. ‘I am super happy, it was tough conditions with the wind and the first time playing her. I was super nervous. The first set was just trying to get used to her game and the conditions.
‘She is the world number one so I just tried to do my best until the end and fight for every point.’
Sabelenka continued to sport the diamond and garnet necklaces and matching earrings, worth £75,000, that she also wore during her pre-tournament media protest in demands for more prize money.
Her exit means its the first time a Grand Slam has reached the semi-final stage without a former champion in either the men’s and women’s singles draws.
