Aryna Sabalenka saw her golden opportunity to claim a maiden French Open title go by on Wednesday as the world number one fell into a "deep, dark hole" against Diana Shnaider to crash out of the tournament in the quarter-finals.
After battling back from a set down and being led by a double break of serve in the second by the world number one, Shnaider prevailed to set up a last-four meeting with Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
"I screw up, and then she stepped in and she played great. I feel like mentally I couldn't really recover after the second set," Sabalenka said after her 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss.
"I don't know when was the last time that happened to me that I lost 10 games in a row. I don't know. I guess mentally I got into very deep, deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn't get back mentally on track."
Sabalenka's collapse on Court Philippe Chatrier was reminiscent of last year's final when Coco Gauff battled back to beat the four-time major winner in three sets.
But this year's defeat to 25th seed Shnaider will sting just as much as Sabalenka had entered the last eight as the overwhelming favorite to win Roland Garros, following the early exits of principal challengers Gauff, Iga Swiatek and world number two Elena Rybakina.
"I don't like easy wins, you know. I guess for me it's about suffer, overcome, and get it done," Sabalenka said tongue-in-cheek.
Shnaider's best previous performance in a major was a fourth-round run at the US Open in 2024.
But now the 22-year-old finds herself the favorite to reach the final at Roland Garros.
"Definitely super happy I managed to finish on a good note rather than start on a good note," Shnaider said of her battling comeback.
"(It's) definitely a special tournament for me here.
"It's going be a lefty battle so I'm looking forward (to the semi-final)."
- 'What's going on' -
Earlier, world number 114 Chwalinska continued her stunning Roland Garros run by becoming just the second women's qualifier to reach the last four at Roland Garros in the Open era.
The 24-year-old Pole again defied the odds to down Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
"I honestly don't know what's going on. I know I repeat myself but every single match here is kind of crazy for me so I'm very grateful," Chwalinska said on court.
It was her eighth win at the tournament after she battled through three qualifying rounds to reach the main draw of a major for just the third time in her career.
Prior to her run in Paris, Chwalinska had only ever won two tour-level matches on clay in her career, now she stands one victory away from competing for the biggest title the surface has to offer.
"I feel like I just, for some reason, I don't process it, you know," Chwalinska said.
"I'm just focusing on every single match. I honestly don't feel like it's, like, a huge, huge moment for me.
"But definitely after the tournament finishes, I will kind of have time to, I guess, be grateful for what happened and process it as well."
If the women's tournament is now set to produce a first-time Grand Slam winner, that has been the case for the men's since last week.
World number six Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked player left in the top half of the draw following Jannik Sinner's shock second-round departure, as well as Ben Shelton's departure.
Not only is the Canadian the only sole non-Italian left at the top of the draw, he also finds himself in uncharted territory having never before progressed beyond the last 16 at the French Open.
Auger-Aliassime will later take on 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals.
The winner of that match will then meet one of Matteo Berrettini or Matteo Arnaldi, who headline the night session, in Friday's semi-finals.
Of that quartet, only 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini has previously reached a major final.
