North Carolina State University Athletics
Diana Shnaider Downs World No. 1 in Roland Garros Quarterfinals, Advances to First Career Grand Slam Semifinal
6/3/2026 10:49:00 AM | Women's Tennis
PARIS - NC State women's tennis Pack Pro and No. 25 seed Diana Shnaider defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set comeback victory at the French Open quarterfinals to earn her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal win and advance to the semifinals of a major for the first time. The victory marks the highest-ranked win of her career and second-career top-10 triumph.
With the victory, Shnaider becomes the first player with college ties to reach a women's singles semifinal at a Grand Slam since 2024, when Emma Navarro (Virginia) advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open. She is also the first player with college ties to reach the semifinals at the French Open since Billie Jean King in 1972.
Shnaider dropped the opening set 3-6 but quickly settled into the match. After falling behind 5-3 in the second set, she mounted a remarkable comeback, winning the final 10 games of the contest. She claimed the second set 7-5 before cruising to a 6-0 victory in the third to secure the win.
Tough conditions with the wind, first time playing Aryna, super nervous, Shnaider said in her on-court interview. Quarterfinals for the first time, definitely a lot of nerves. I feel like first there was trying to adjust to her game and then to the conditions, to the wind. Trying to figure out how to play. I was just trying to focus point by point, not thinking about the score. I was like, it's OK. It's tough conditions, she's the World No. 1. I will just try to do my best to the end and we'll see how it goes. Try to fight for every point and try to run for every ball and make it extra into the court.
Shnaider earned the victory in two hours and 12 minutes, winning 68 percent of second-serve points. She committed 27 unforced errors compared to Sabalenka's 57 and converted seven break points in the match.
After snapping the top seed's streak of six consecutive major semifinal appearances, Shnaider will face Poland's Maja Chwalińska in the semifinals with a chance to advance to her first career Grand Slam final. The match will be played on Thursday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m. ET
In just one year with the Wolfpack in 2022-23, Shnaider helped lead the Wolfpack to an NCAA Championship appearance while becoming the seventh All-American in program history.
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