Aryna Sabalenka seemed to have one foot in the Roland Garros semifinals at first. But after leading against 25th-seeded Russian Diana Shnaider, the world No. 1 lost 11 of the final 12 games, culminating in a devastating 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 defeat.
After the match, while acknowledging the defeat and her frustration, Sabalenka also criticized the officials’ decision not to close the roof even in the windy weather in Paris. That sparked a debate, and former pro and analyst Sam Querrey also joined in, pointing out that they shouldn’t have allowed the match to continue in such miserable conditions.
Sam Querrey’s Honest Take on Aryna Sabalenka’s Windy French Open Match, While John Isner Agrees
In the post-match presser, Sabalenka criticized officials without using the wind as the sole excuse for her loss.
“I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,” Sabalenka told reporters. “Even though I was winning, it was very dirty tennis. I don’t know how people could actually sit there and watch. But how can I complain if for almost the whole match everything was working okay for me, and then it just slipped away?”
Although Querrey believes the blustery wind was not the sole reason for the upset, he also agreed with Sabalenka about the Roland-Garros official’s decision.
“Yes, it was windy, but Sabalenka just got frustrated and got into a dark place when she didn’t win that second set. It was just one of the few times we saw her mentally collapse,” Querrey explained on the “Nothing Major” podcast.
“Having said that, also, I wish when the weather was windy and cold, they would just close the roof,” Querrey vented. “Just close the dang roof. There are 15,000 fans in there who have paid money to watch your sport. Like, make sure they’re comfortable, too,” Querrey said.
Former top-10 player Isner agreed. “Yeah, I get it. Like, roof closed, Shnaider doesn’t win that match.”
The Belarusian also had pointed out that, last year, they kept the roof open for women’s matches, and then the next day, in similar conditions, they closed it for the men,” she remarked. “I don’t know why they would keep it open.” In 2025, the semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti was played under a closed roof because it had rained in the morning.
And former ATP pro and analyst Steve Johnson questioned why the roof was closed earlier for Felix Auger-Aliassime’s match on the same day, which Querrey clarified was due to rain, not wind.
SEE ALSO: ‘Dirty Tennis’ – Aryna Sabalenka Accuses French Open of Preferential Treatment Toward Men After Exit
Johnson added that, although he understands why they closed the roof, it’s an outdoor tournament, and he prefers the “gross” and “windy” challenge of an open-roof match.
Organizers generally maintain that the roof is primarily intended to prevent rain rather than other conditions, such as strong winds, and to keep the tournament on schedule. But Roland Garros will need to update its policies, having already faced controversy over prize money, dangerous advertising boards, match scheduling, and electronic line calling.
