Hal ini mengulangi kegagalan serupa yang dialaminya pada laga final Prancis Terbuka tahun lalu saat berhadapan dengan Coco Gauff.

"I don't think she has learnt how to play in the wind. The wind requires footwork, adjustment steps around the ball, wind wreaks havoc on the ball.

You have to wait to the last second to set your feet and hit the ball," tambah Evert.

Setelah mencerna hasil pertandingan yang dianggapnya sebagai salah satu laga paling aneh, Evert juga mengkritik sikap keras kepala Sabalenka yang tetap memburu garis lapangan dalam situasi berangin.

Alih-alih menyesuaikan ritme permainannya, ia terus memaksakan diri.

"I cannot believe what I just saw.

Diana Shnaider coming back, it looked like she was going to lose that match, but she just hung in there.

Aryna's dream will have to wait another year to try and win the French Open.

>>> Aryna Sabalenka Tersingkir dari Roland-Garros 2026

She just did not have her timing today and did not react to the wind well at all.

She was flat-footed, off balance, and she just did not have a good day," tutur Evert.

Apresiasi untuk Shnaider

Di sisi lain, Evert memberikan apresiasi tinggi bagi petenis berusia 22 tahun, Diana Shnaider, yang berani tampil habis-habisan setelah tertinggal angka.

Shnaider berhasil mengamankan tiket semifinal Grand Slam pertamanya.

"I am in shock. It was one of the strangest matches I have ever seen.

Where a number one player in the world can be up pretty comfortably and then her timing went off, and she was not adjusting to the wind.