Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock quarterfinal exit at the French Open after losing to 25th seed Diana Shnaider in a dramatic three-set battle at Roland-Garros.

The Belarusian star, who entered the tournament among the favourites for the title, was beaten 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 by the Russian youngster after a complete collapse in the deciding set.

Sabalenka’s frustrations boiled over during the match as cameras captured emotional exchanges between the player and her coaching box.

According to reports from Tribuna.com, Sabalenka repeatedly vented her anger during the contest, smashing her racket on the clay and shouting at herself during the difficult moments of the match.

At one point, her coach Anton Dubov reportedly yelled:

“Alright, screw it already. Let it go, f***, let it go.”

Sabalenka herself was also heard shouting:

“How are you so annoying, Aryna!”

Following the defeat, the world No. 1 admitted she was struggling mentally after the painful loss.

“I’m in a deep hole mentally right now,” Sabalenka reportedly said during her post-match press conference.

“Right now I just want to quit tennis. But maybe in a few days I’ll feel differently.”

The defeat marks one of the biggest upsets of the women’s tournament so far and ends Sabalenka’s hopes of winning her maiden French Open title this season.

Russian players dominate women’s semifinals

Shnaider’s victory means two Russian players have now reached the Roland-Garros semifinals.

Teen sensation Mirra Andreeva also booked her place in the last four after defeating Sorana Cirstea in straight sets.

The semifinal lineup is now confirmed:

French Open Women’s Semifinals

• Diana Shnaider vs Maja Chwalińska
• Mirra Andreeva vs Marta Kostyuk

Shnaider advanced after defeating Sabalenka 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, while Poland’s Maja Chwalińska defeated Anna Kalinskaya in another upset.

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk also progressed after overcoming Elina Svitolina in three sets.

Sabalenka’s emotional struggles continue

Despite remaining one of the most dominant players on tour over the past two seasons, Sabalenka has occasionally spoken openly about the mental pressure that comes with competing at the top level.

Her latest comments will likely spark concern among fans ahead of the remainder of the tennis season, especially with Wimbledon only weeks away.

For now, however, Roland-Garros belongs to a new generation of challengers — and one of the tournament favourites is heading home earlier than expected.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus walks off the court after the quarterfinal tennis match against Russia’s Diana Shnaider at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a first French Open title was left in tatters as she fell apart in a bizarre defeat by Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The world number one led by a set and a double-break before exiting the tournament in a blaze of unforced errors, collapsing to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss in blustery conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier.

READ: Aryna Sabalenka takes advantage of heat wave in French Open win

Shnaider will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals on Thursday, with Marta Kostyuk or Mirra Andreeva awaiting the winner in Sunday’s final.

“Well honestly I’m speechless, I’m super happy. Obviously tough conditions with the wind,” said the 22-year-old Shnaider after beating a top-10 player for only the second time in her career.

“First time playing Aryna so definitely a lot of nerves and I feel the first set was trying to adjust to her game.”

Sabalenka was the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros, but belied that status by making a whopping 57 unforced errors.

Russia’s Diana Shnaider reacts after winning the quarterfinal tennis match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Shnaider was playing in her first major quarterfinal, but now finds herself a strong favorite to reach the final heading into her last-four tie against world number 114 and fellow left-hander Chwalinska.

“Definitely super happy I managed to finish on a good note rather than start on a good note. Definitely a special tournament for me here,” added the Russian.

“It’s going be a lefty battle so I’m looking forward (to the semi-final).”

Sabalenka’s scarcely believable defeat was reminiscent of the way she threw away a strong position in last year’s final against Coco Gauff.

The Belarusian was playing in a 14th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final but failed to become the first woman to make seven straight major semis since Serena Williams.

Increasingly frustrated Sabalenka

The top seed raced into a 5-1 lead and eventually sealed the opener on her third set point after initially failing to serve it out.

The second set followed a similar pattern at first, as Sabalenka moved 4-1 in front with a double-break before throwing away her next service game.

Sabalenka became increasingly frustrated as she gifted Shnaider three break points to level at 4-4.

After some animated remonstrating with her box, she recomposed herself enough to hold.

But the 28-year-old’s game continued to come apart, as a string of dreadful unforced errors allowed Shnaider to break again and tie up the set at 5-5, with Sabalenka left to gesticulate wildly towards her coaching staff.

Shnaider could not believe her luck as Sabalenka dumped successive forehands into the bottom of the net to finish off the set and send the match into a decider.

The Russian grew in confidence and moved 2-0 up in the third as Sabalenka sprayed eight unforced errors around Chatrier in the space of two games.

Shnaider cruised to victory from there, fittingly securing a semi-final berth when Sabalenka knocked a routine backhand into the net on the third match point.

A stunned world number one was left to trudge off court after winning just 14 points in the deciding set.

The New York Knicks held their collective breath during the first quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night after All-Star guard Jalen Brunson suffered an injury scare against the San Antonio Spurs.

Spurs reserve Harrison Barnes accidentally collided with Brunson’s right knee while falling to the floor, and the Knicks star immediately grabbed at the leg in apparent pain.

Brunson signaled to the bench and headed to the locker room after checking out of the game. He later returned to the bench but had not re-entered the contest as of publication.

This is a developing story. More to come.

Few, if any, fighters would turn down the opportunity to train alongside Muhammad Ali. John Dino Denis did.

The world lost the incomparable Ali a decade ago in June of 2016. Sadly, the number of men that either boxed, sparred or shared a ring with ‘The Greatest’ in exhibition form has diminished quite considerably these past few years, what with the passing of former Ali rivals Joe Bugner, George Foreman, and a little longer ago, Brian London, Jurgen Blin and others.

One man who is still in great health and loves recalling the time he spent in the ring with the American icon is Denis. Today a sprightly 74-year-old recovering from knee-replacement surgery, Denis boxed Ali twice – in a 1972 exhibition bout, and then again in 1979.

Denis, who carved out a 45-5-2(20) pro record, speaks with Boxing News on the anniversary of Ali’s death, sharing his memories and recalling a particularly intriguing offer.

Tough question to start with: What does Ali mean to you today?

Well, it’s simple – Ali was one of the greatest heavyweights ever. He was one of the greatest fighters ever. He made it all look so easy. He was a big man, and he had quick hands, and he was so fast on his feet. I would watch him and try to copy some of the things he did. I liked the way he would move around and use his left hand. I saw how he did it, and I tried to make my left hand a good weapon. I did that. In fact, I caught Ali with a sharp left to the face when we sparred in Boston. He stuck his face out at me, and I tagged him pretty good. He wanted to kill me after that (laughs).

But, really, there’s nobody who doesn’t know the name Muhammad Ali, even the young kids today. He was such a great showman. He made the sport fun. Ali was funny to be around; he was also such a beautiful athlete. Ali is to boxing what Michael Jordan is to basketball. I thank him so much for basically giving me the defining moments of my career; he and George Foreman, who I fought in 1976.”

How was Ali in your first exhibition with him compared to the second one in 1979? Did you see any decline in the second bout?

Well, the first exhibition, Ali was in his prime; he was on the top of his game. The second time, he was out of shape. In Boston [the first exhibition], Ali was so playful. I actually got to the press conference late, and as I was walking in with my father, my uncle, and my brother, Ali saw me, and he hid behind a wall, and he jumped out and started throwing punches at me. He said, ‘Ain’t you afraid of me, boy!’ I told him I wouldn’t be here if I was scared. And then he said he wanted to box me first and knock me out. He ended up boxing me last; he boxed three guys that night. I was in actuality very intimidated by him. I was just 22 at the time. But I did catch him with that left jab; we boxed three rounds. After, he came to my room and he asked me what nationality I was, and I told him, French-Canadian, Italian. He said to me, ‘That can’t be right, you’re too fast for a white guy, you must have some black in you!’

Ali asked me to go train with him, full-time in Deer Lake; he said he’d make me champion of the world. My dad said to me, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ And looking back, I really should have. But I was a young kid, and I was afraid to do it, to leave my hometown and everything. But I look back now, and I realise that, well, being around good fighters all the time, great fighters in Ali’s case, makes all the difference in a career. Boxing is all about knowledge. Yeah, I should have taken him up on his kind offer; I really should have. But I said no, and he took Larry Holmes under his wing instead.

Another story I have of Ali. I was down in Florida, just two days before my fight with Foreman, and he [Ali] was down there making his movie [‘The Greatest’]. I came out of the 5th Street Gym, and he stopped everything; he stopped production of the movie. He walked over to me, and he started dancing around me, throwing punches, telling me how to beat Foreman! It was great that he’d remembered me, it really was. But it’s funny, because for the Foreman fight, I was trying to dance around in the ring during sparring, doing some of the stuff Ali told me to do, and I caught my foot on the canvas somehow, and I sprained my ankle. I could hardly walk. So Ali kind of cost me that fight, with me trying to adopt his tactics (laughs). But I do think I won the first couple of rounds against Foreman.” (Dino was stopped in the fourth round by Foreman, this in October of 1976)

And the second exhibition you had?

Yeah, that was in ’79, in Providence, Rhode Island. But before that, and I’m not sure what year it was, but it was before my fight with Foreman. Anyway, Ali contacted my management, and he was going to go on an Asian tour of 12 countries, to box exhibitions. He wanted me to go, and he sent Jimmy Ellis down to box with me, to see how I did with him, and I boxed Jimmy for three rounds. Later, they [Ali’s team] said they wanted me to go with him to Asia. I was really excited about it, and I signed contracts. But the deal fell through, because they, the various countries, they couldn’t provide Ali with adequate security.

The second exhibition, Ali wasn’t in shape. In ’72, he was moving around like he was 25 years old. By ’79, he was a little out of shape. Angelo Dundee came to my dressing room, and he told me to take it easy on Ali when I worked with him. I had no problem with that. I was always a gentleman in the ring; I would never take advantage of Ali when he was out of shape. I was just honoured to box him again, you know. In ’72, I never held back; I wanted to get up that ladder as high as I could. In ’79, I held back, but only a little bit, really. He wore headgear in ’72, but we didn’t wear it in ’79. Ali wore a full jumpsuit, or training suit, in the second exhibition. He really wasn’t in good physical shape then, and to be honest, I did feel quite bad for him at the time. It was just for money by then, I think. I didn’t want him to come back the way he did, and fight Larry Holmes. But Ali carried on too long, as so many of us [boxers] do. I did so myself. Ali, I think, made that bad decision simply because he really needed money.

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Do you have anything negative to say about Ali as a person? It’s tough because we all love him so much…

Well, it’s not really my right to criticise anybody, but at the time, the only thing Ali did that I wasn’t too happy with was when he refused to go to war and fight for his country. I wasn’t too happy about that. It was his decision, but if he had gone to Vietnam – which a lot of kids did when they didn’t want to go – he would have just boxed exhibitions; he wouldn’t have seen any combat. And when he threw the gold medal into the river, why he did that, throwing away a medal his country gave him, I don’t know why he made that decision. To me, to win an Olympic medal for your country is one of the highest honours, you know… But who am I to judge Ali, or anyone else?”

Do you have anything else you’d like to say about Ali?

I do think it’s great how Ali affected us all. You know, Ali made so many people famous – he made Howard Cosell famous. Ali was so great for the game. Really, Ali made Angelo Dundee famous. Angelo was a great trainer, but anyone could have trained Ali. Ali had a gift from God. He was destined to become champion; he was just exceptional.

Also, I must say, as this seems to come up a lot these days – how would Ali do against Mike Tyson! I really believe, no doubt about it, Ali would have destroyed Mike Tyson. Tyson came up with heavyweights that were not in any way as dangerous as most of the ’70s heavyweights. Tyson’s biggest virtue was getting inside on an opponent; he used his lack of size to his advantage. But Tyson, though he was fast, Ali’s ability to stay on the outside would have made it so that Tyson wouldn’t have even got close to him. Ali would have kept the fight long; he would have never let Tyson get close to him, and he would have busted Tyson up. That’s my pick. I’ll pick a great boxer over a great slugger any day. And don’t forget, Ali had a big, big heart, and he sure could take a punch. He was just special, and it’s an honour to be able to speak to you about him.

The 2026 French Open has turned into one of the most chaotic and historic Grand Slam tournaments in modern tennis history.

By the time the semifinals arrived at Roland-Garros, every former Grand Slam singles champion had already been eliminated from both the men’s and women’s draws — something that has not happened at a major tournament since the 1977 French Open.

For years, men’s tennis has been dominated by familiar names. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and, more recently, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner controlled the sport’s biggest stages.

But Paris 2026 has ripped up the script completely.

Sinner stunned early

The biggest shock of the tournament came in the second round when world No. 1 Jannik Sinner crashed out to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo.

Sinner entered Roland-Garros as one of the favourites to win the title, especially after his dominant performances over the last 18 months. Instead, his tournament ended before the opening week was even complete.

His exit immediately opened up the draw and sparked belief among a new generation of players chasing their first major title.

Alcaraz never even got started

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz did not even make it onto the court.

The Spaniard withdrew before the tournament due to injury, robbing fans of one of the biggest stars in world tennis and removing another proven champion from the bracket.

With Nadal retired and Alcaraz absent, the tournament suddenly felt like the end of a familiar era on clay.

Djokovic falls as the old guard disappears

Novak Djokovic’s defeat in the third round completed the collapse of the established order.

The Serbian legend, who has dominated Grand Slam tennis for more than a decade, was beaten by Brazilian teenager João Fonseca in one of the standout moments of the tournament.

For the first time in years, the latter stages of a Grand Slam no longer belonged to players fans had become used to seeing lift trophies.

Instead, Paris became the stage for a completely new cast.

An all-Italian semifinal headlines the new generation

The semifinal lineup tells the story better than anything else.

On one side of the draw, Italy will guarantee a finalist as Matteo Arnaldi faces fellow countryman Flavio Cobolli in an all-Italian semifinal.

Cobolli reached the final four after eliminating Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, while Arnaldi continued his breakthrough run with fearless tennis throughout the tournament.

The other semifinal will see Czech rising star Jakub Menšík face Alexander Zverev.

At just 20 years old, Menšík has become one of the stories of the tournament, playing with maturity and composure beyond his years.

Zverev, meanwhile, is now the only remaining player with extensive Grand Slam semifinal experience — yet the German is still chasing the first major title of his career despite years near the top of the game.

Women’s draw also transformed

The women’s tournament has been just as unpredictable.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out by Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals after winning the first set, while several other favourites also failed to survive the opening rounds.

The women’s semifinals will feature:

• Diana Shnaider
• Maja Chwalińska
• Mirra Andreeva
• Marta Kostyuk

None of them has previously won a Grand Slam singles title.

Tennis enters a new chapter

For decades, tennis fans became used to seeing the same champions dominate major tournaments.

But Roland-Garros 2026 feels different.

Teenagers are beating legends. Unseeded players are making deep runs. New rivalries are forming in real time.

Whether this proves to be a temporary disruption or the true beginning of tennis’ next era remains to be seen.

What is already certain, however, is that Paris 2026 will be remembered as the tournament where the sport’s old order finally gave way to a new generation.

2026 PVL Rookie Draft class. –PVL PHOTO

A setter and a libero headlined the 2026 Draft class of the PVL on Wednesday night, with Lams Lamina being picked first overall by Galeries Tower and Detdet Pepito going second as picked by Capital1.

Galeries is banking on the two-time UAAP Best Setter to elevate its offense and maximize a core led by Jean Asis, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Gayle Pascual, Roselle Baliton and Erika Deloria.

“It’s really fulfilling because, wow, I was the one they chose for Galeries,” Lamina said in Filipino. “It shows the trust they have in me, and I’m very happy and grateful for that.”

Lamina enters the professional ranks with an accomplished collegiate résumé, as she also won three championships in five Finals appearances with National University. She also gained experience with Alas Pilipinas pool.

“I came from a championship team at NU, and what I can bring to Galeries is my competitiveness both on and off the court,” she said. “I want to contribute my hard work and discipline to the team.”

Meanwhile, Capital1—which acquired a lot of offense in Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos when PLDT filed for a leave of absence—took Pepito to strengthen its defense.

The former University of Santo Tomas captain and two-time UAAP Best Libero, Pepito, reunites with childhood friend and former collegiate rival Bella Belen, Capital1’s top overall selection in last year’s draft and the reigning Rookie of the Year.

“As I was walking down the red carpet, I saw Bella and started thinking back to all our memories. We’ve been teammates since elementary school, and now we’re teammates again in the PVL,” Pepito said.

Pepito is expected to bolster the Solar Spikers’ backline alongside Roma Mae Doromal and Rachel Jorvina as the franchise continues to build around recent acquisitions Gandler and Santos.

“Honestly, it’s a mix of emotions, but more than anything, I’m just grateful and thankful to God,” Pepito went on. “Playing in the PVL was something I only dreamed about before. Being the No. 2 pick comes with pressure, but I’m thankful for the opportunity, and I’ll do my best to help Capital1.”

The draft class was notably affected by the withdrawals of projected top picks Alyssa Solomon and Niña Ytang, who opted to focus on their commitments with Alas Pilipinas.

Choco Mucho drafted Far Eastern University setter Tin Ubaldo, with ZUS Coffee tapping Mapua middle blocker Alyanna Ong at No.4—the highest pick of an NCAA player in the draft’s third year.

Akari, which held the No.5 pick, opted to pass in this year’s draft. Nxled selected University of the Philippines spiker-libero Irah Jaboneta.

Jonna Perdido landed at sixth overall with the Farm Fresh Foxies, reuniting with her college coach, Kungfu Reyes, who is the assistant of Japanese Koji Tsuzurabara.

Another NCAA standout was drafted in the first round, with Perpetual Help setter Fifi Ariola joining PLDT as the seventh pick. Adamson spiker Barbie Jamili was selected by Creamline to cap the first round.

A representative of the new generation of Brazilian women’s football, Tainá Maranhão could reach 10 matches for the Brazilian National Team next Saturday (6) against the United States. The young forward, who started playing football at 15, has steadily progressed in her appearances for the Canarinho since her first call-up to the U-17 team in 2019.

In October last year, she made her debut on coach Arthur Elias’s squad list. Today, she has five call-ups to the senior national team and nine matches played. Of the six games the Canarinho has played this year, Maranhão found the net in three: in the friendly against Costa Rica and in the matches against South Korea and Zambia in the FIFA Series.

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In a press conference this Wednesday (3), she said she is happy to be experiencing this stage of her career, especially because of her age — she turns 22 in August. “Everyone says I’m one of the youngest, and I take that as a good thing. Everything I see in the more experienced players, I try to absorb for myself and take as learning,” said Tainá.

Tainá Maranhão and Raissa Bahia during the Women’s National Team’s second training session at CT Joaquim GravaCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

The press conference took place after the second day of training for the friendlies against the United States, scheduled for Saturday (6) in São Paulo and Tuesday (9) in Fortaleza. One of Palmeiras’ key players, with whom she has already won major titles such as back-to-back Paulista championships and the Copa do Brasil, Maranhão does not feel the weight of expectations.

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“I’m happy even because of the expectations. And I’m going to work to live up to everyone’s expectations,” she assured. In the squad called up for these FIFA Date matches, the forward is joined by great club teammates: Raissa Bahia, who is beginning to make her mark with the Canarinho, with two appearances; and Bia Zaneratto, a veteran with 130 matches.

“Everyone knows I’m very inspired by Bia, but there’s also Guti (Amanda Gutierres), who keeps me on my toes,” she admitted, with the familiarity of someone who played alongside them for two years. “I think this reunion is really cool, we build closeness. Everything we’ve been through adds a lot to what we’re experiencing with the national team. Everything is still very new to me, but I’m loving it,” said the player, whose speed and intensity on the field are already showing up in her numbers with the Canarinho.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.