The women’s French Open semi-finals will feature the eighth, 15th, and 25th seeds - as well as the world No 114, who came through qualifying on a storming run into the final four.

Poland’s Maja Chwalinska has won eight matches in a row, including three in Roland-Garros qualifying, to make her maiden grand slam semi-final - and has made history as only the second woman to achieve that feat in Paris, after Nadia Podoroska in 2020.

She has already doubled her career prize money having pocketed €750,000 euros (around £650,000) for making the semi-finals, where she will play 25th seed Diana Shnaider.

Diani Shnaider is through to her first grand slam semi-final, having only previously made it to one grand slam fourth round in her career. The 22-year-old secured the biggest win of her career by beating No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.

“Tough conditions with the wind, first time playing Aryna, super nervous,” she said.

“Quarter-finals for the first time, definitely a lot of nerves. I feel like first there was trying to adjust to her game and then to the conditions, to the wind. I was like, it's OK. It’s tough conditions, she's the world No. 1. I will just try to do my best to the end, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Shnaider won 12 of the final 13 games in an extraordinary turnaround.

What the blistering heat and sun did for Jannik Sinner, so the wind and her own mind did for Aryna Sabalenka. The only remaining grand slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s draw, the top seed and world No 1 did not drop a set in her first four matches at Roland-Garros and only once spent more than an hour and a half on court.

But then came a meeting with 25th seed and first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Diana Shnaider, and a match amid the swirling, lively winds under the open roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

And by the end of it came a familiar sight as Sabalenka, already a four-time major champion but who has held herself back from winning more, waved sadly to the crowd and made a premature exit.

Before playing Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk was highly critical of Russian players who state their focus is on tennis and remain silent about political discussions and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

“I know some people who have left Russia the moment the war began, who sold all their business, who left everything behind because they just don’t agree with what their country is doing to other people,” Kostyuk said.

"They are all grown-ups. They know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news. I wish there was some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people."

At 19, Mirra Andreeva is making her second appearance in a French Open semi-final, having lost to Jasmine Paolini in 2024. The Russian teenager is bidding to became the youngest grand slam finalist since Coco Gauff in 2022. Andreeva has won the most matches on tour this year, with 34. If Andreeva wins the French Open, she would be the third-youngest grand slam winner this century, behind a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova in 2004 and an 18-year-old Emma Raducanu in 2021.

Marta Kostyuk remains the only player who has not lost a match on clay this season. The Ukrainian is through to her first grand slam semi-final after winning 16 matches in a row on clay, including winning the title in Rouen and the biggest of her career in Madrid.

Kostyuk beat Mirra Andreeva in the Madrid final, and also won against her in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International at the start of the season. She is the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semi-finals of Roland Garros.

Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk has launched a scathing attack on Russian players, accusing them of hiding behind silence regarding the war in Ukraine and asserting that their inaction has revealed "whose side they are on" after four years of conflict.

The 23-year-old secured her place in the final four by defeating fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3 2-6 6-2 in an emotionally charged quarter-final, played just hours after another night of Russian strikes targeted Kyiv.

The latter stages of the women’s tournament have seen superb runs from a number of Russian and Ukrainian players, throwing the spotlight further on one of tennis’ most critical flashpoints – and the sport’s inability to reckon with it

Mixed doubles final

Errani and Vavassori (1) vs Dabrowski and King

Women’s singles semi-final

Kostyuk (15) v Andreeva

Followed by

Shnaider (25) v Chwalinka (Q)

What else will this extraordinary French Open deliver? For the first time since 1977, both men’s and women’s draw feature no former grand slam champions in the semi-final line-ups. A first-time winner will be crowned in Paris on Saturday and Sunday.

Today, we will find out which two players will compete in Saturday’s women’s final. First, there will be a repeat of the Madrid final as eighth seed Mirra Andreeva faces the 15th seed Marta Kostyuk. Two in-form players.

Then, it’s the battle of the left-handers as the 25th seed Diana Shanaider plays the qualifier Maja Chwalinska. No one had either player in their semi-final line-up, but who can take the next step on a huge day of opportunity?