French Open: Madison Keys upset by Diana Shnaider in fourth round
French Open: Madison Keys upset by Diana Shnaider in fourth round
Chris CwikMon, June 1, 2026 at 3:06 PM UTC
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French Open: Madison Keys upset by Diana Shnaider in fourth round
Entering play Monday, Madison Keys was in strong shape to advance to the quarterfinal at the French Open. She was not only the higher seed, but was a perfect 3-0 against her opponent, Russian Diana Shnaider.
But Shnaider finally found a way to topple Keys on Monday, defeating the American 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
Things started out well for Keys in the first set, as she took Game 1 and Game 3 to take an early 2-1 lead. From there, however, Keys started making unforced errors, allowing Shnaider to grab a 5-2 lead before Keys finally took another game. Though Keys fought well in the ninth game of the set, she couldn’t hold off Shnaider, who won the set 6-3.
The second set began in the same fashion, as Keys once again took Game 1 and Game 3, picking up an early 2-1 lead in the second set. After Shnaider took Game 4, there was some concern fans could be in for a repeat of the first set. This time around, though, Keys quickly recovered to take the fifth game and regain the lead in the set. After trading the next two games, Keys still held a narrow lead. An ace helped Keys take Game 7, giving her momentum late in the set. That proved to be the case. Keys took the next two games to win the second set.
Shnaider bounced back early in the final set. A combination of strong play and unforced errors from Keys gave Shnaider a 3-0 start in the set. While Keys put herself in position to win Game 4, she couldn’t hold her lead, falling yet again.
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After another quick win from Shnaider, Keys was just a game away from elimination. She couldn’t muster up a comeback, failing to win a single game in the final set.
Of the four Grand Slam events, the French Open has proven the most difficult for Keys. Entering Monday, she held a 68 percent win rate at the French Open. After reaching the semifinals at the event in 2018, Keys has not made it back to the round since. She’s finished as a quarterfinalist twice over that period — including last year — but has otherwise suffered premature exits at the French Open.
While she advanced to the fourth round, Keys again was eliminated from the event earlier than expected.
For Shnaider, the win pushes her to the quarterfinal of a Glam Slam for the first time in her career. The 22-year-old Shnaider has shown plenty of potential early in her career, but had never advanced past the fourth round in a Grand Slam event until Monday.
She’ll take on the winner of Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka on Wednesday.
Source: “AOL Sports”
