Shnaider: "I Knew Sabalenka Would Suffer with the Conditions"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 3 Jun 2026 | 17.57

Diana Shnaider speaks after defeating Sabalenka at Roland Garros 2026. Photo: gettyimages

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Diana Shnaider caused one of the biggest upsets of Roland Garros 2026 by defeating Aryna Sabalenka and reaching the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. The Russian came back from a set and double break down against the world number one in a day marked by wind and extreme conditions that complicated the game for both players.

The victory represents the greatest achievement of Diana Shnaider's career and confirms the growth of a player who had already shown her potential in doubles alongside Mirra Andreeva but is now also taking huge steps forward in singles. After the match, the Russian explained how she managed to change the course of the game, analyzed the difficulties Sabalenka faced in handling the conditions, and discussed the challenge awaiting her against Maja Chwalinska for a spot in the final.

This is what Shnaider said in the press conference after beating Sabalenka at Roland Garros 2026

Diana Shnaider explains how she overcame Aryna Sabalenka after a set and double break down

"I'm super happy. I'm still processing all the emotions. It was a very tough match, and I'm very proud of how I managed the emotions, the conditions, and all the struggle during the match."

"Obviously, I knew I was playing against the world number one and an extremely aggressive player. The conditions were very difficult, and I decided not to put too much pressure on myself."

"When I was trailing 5-3 and playing against the wind, with Aryna constantly pushing me, I felt I had to change something. I was trying to vary more, use effects, slices, and different heights, but nothing was working."

"At that moment, I thought I had to be more aggressive, step into the court more, and take more risks. She was pushing me too far back and winning all the short exchanges. I started attacking her second serves more, putting more pressure, and finding my shots."

"Gradually, some errors started to appear on her part, and I felt the momentum shifting. I began to believe more in myself. When I won the second set, I thought I was the first player capable of taking it away from her in the entire tournament, which gave me even more confidence."

Shnaider reveals how she took advantage of Sabalenka's struggles with the wind

"The conditions were really harsh. There was a lot of wind, plenty of sand, and many unpredictable bounces. I was even surprised when they opened the roof because I had warmed up thinking we would play with it closed."

"During the first set, I was quite upset about everything that was happening, but I kept reminding myself that the conditions were exactly the same for both of us. I had to accept the situation and find solutions."

"Of course, I remembered last year's final. I watched it and knew that Aryna had struggled in similar conditions. That idea was in some corner of my mind, and I thought I should seize the opportunity if I could adapt better than her."

Diana Shnaider analyzes Sabalenka's emotions during the match

"I saw some moments of frustration from her, of course. I know Aryna, and I know she is a very emotional person. I am too. I believe one of the things I'm doing best in this tournament is not allowing negative emotions to interfere with my tennis. There were many moments where I could have been very angry with myself or with everything that was happening."

A special win and a special tournament for Diana Shnaider 🎙️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/hEbYk7ttAs
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2026

"When I saw her getting frustrated, I kept telling myself that I was on the right track. I said to myself that I had to stay focused on myself and not waste energy thinking about what she was discussing with her team or what she was doing on the other side of the net. My only concern was to find solutions and keep moving forward point by point."

How she used the clay courts to compete against the world number one

"Honestly, with the amount of wind, there was hardly any clay left on the court. It was very difficult to even slide. We know Aryna is a big hitter, and a significant part of her success has come on hard courts. I knew I could move better than her on clay and tried to use that as an advantage throughout the match."

Diana Shnaider explains why she targeted Sabalenka's forehand so much

"I didn't know Aryna had said she enjoys playing against left-handed players. I actually never watch other players' press conferences. I just focused on my game. I felt she was starting to struggle with her forehand, and when I saw an opportunity to play parallel with my forehand, I tried to take it because it's a shot I really like."

"Later, she also started making some errors with her backhand, and my goal was to keep being aggressive so she couldn't take the initiative or come to the net, something she does very well lately. I was much more focused on what I needed to do to provoke her errors than anything else."

Diana Shnaider's respect for Maja Chwalinska before the semifinals

"I remember perfectly playing against her. It was in a $60,000 tournament semifinal in Istanbul in 2022. She is a very tricky and different player. She has a lot of resources, uses drop shots and slices very well, and she's left-handed."

"I'm not surprised she's playing so well. Sometimes you just need time for things to click. It will be a significant change for me to go from facing Aryna to playing against a lefty with a completely different style. I'm very happy for her, and I expect a huge battle because both of us have an incredible opportunity ahead."

The relationship between Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva on and off the court

"Singles semifinals are entirely different from doubles. In doubles, you share success with your partner, while here, you feel like everything depends solely on you and your team. That's why this experience is so special to me. It's the first time I'm going through something like this, and I'm very happy with everything that's happening."

"Mirra and I have a very good relationship on and off the court. Even when we play against each other, we still get along perfectly. Both of us want to win, but that doesn't change anything."

"We have a lot of fun playing doubles together. We have a similar mindset, like to joke around, sometimes behave like little girls, and enjoy the moment. Everything flows very naturally between us."

Diana Shnaider is already part of the history of Roland Garros 2026. The Russian not only achieved the greatest victory of her career by eliminating Aryna Sabalenka, but also showed tremendous maturity to adapt to extreme conditions and remain calm when the match seemed to be slipping away. Now, just one step away from the final, she will have a new opportunity to continue expanding the best tournament of her professional career.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shnaider: "Sabía que Sabalenka iba a sufrir con las condiciones que había"

Diana Shnaider