2026 Roland Garros Men's & Women's Round One - Sunday Matches
I am currently located in North America. In the interest of getting this up in a timely manner for everyone, I am going to go day by day for the event rather than by round. Here is Sunday.
Men’s Singles :
Davidovich Fokina vs Dzumhur :
Full disclosure, I am feeling quite negative today. I want to throw things and scream at the sky. This allows me to get perfectly into the head of Damir Dzumhur. Dzumhur has been around the tour a very long time and seems to know just when to dig in and notch wins. He also knows how to gesture wildly and blame his box when he loses any given point. Dzumhur doesn’t have a huge serve, his backhand isn’t great, and he mostly wins with his speed when his opponents are a little bit flat physically or with their timing. The timing aspect is an issue here, as Fokina has alternated wins and losses the entire clay season. On paper, ADF does everything a bit bigger and better than Dzumhur, but his commitment to playing aggressive regardless of the situation makes every match he plays a question mark. Barring a mental lapse, he should win in 3, but this is a guy who sees opportunities on every ball, so errors can flow. Sometimes talent and skill leave you with too many options, and Fokina is in this boat.
Duckworth vs Diallo :
There will be some difficult matches to predict in this event due to both players coming in at a high level, but this one is rough for very different reasons. Diallo retired in Madrid down a set against Moller, and hasn’t played since. Before that, his clay results were not great. His serve is still fairly effective, but his aggressive play is proving to be an issue on dirt. Diallo has a tendency to go very close to the lines and play with thin margins, and clay is a game of conservative grinding and heavy hitting. The best players on clay are actively trying to wear their opponent down, and Diallo’s approach is geared towards scoring quickly. I like the level he aims to play as he can eventually top out as a top 20 player if he gets consistent, but right now this seems like an even contest. Duckworth actually played three sets with Diallo in Almaty a year ago on hardcourt, so I would almost give him the nod here. James has been playing some clay challengers and has a few wins, and a loss to Djere in three last week and a match against Butvilas is decent prep for the kind of powerful serving and forehand heavy approach that Diallo has. If Diallo is healthy, I’d expect this to go 4-5. Duckworth is better on the surface, but he doesn’t have the type of game where he can create distance in the scoreline. He has trouble holding serve, and his groundstrokes are pretty flat so he isn’t the best on clay. Duckworth in 5.
Kecmanovic vs Maroszan :
These two have a knack for finding difficult first rounds, but this should be a good match. Kecmanovic’s level can vary wildly, and his groundstrokes seem to be world class and automatic half the year and wild and errant the rest. I don’t really see a clear reasons why this happens, but it’s very possible that the ball changes affect him (different events have different sponsors and use different balls). He’s expected to be slightly more consistent here and has solid wins lately against Carabelli, Tabilo, and Vallejo, so I would expect him to play well here. Those wins culminated in a title at the Valencia Challenger, and Maroszan’s last outting was a loss to Kopriva who is a slightly less known but similar level baseline grinder to Kecmanovic. The trouble with calling an easy win for Kecmanovic is Maroszan has huge power and deft dropshots. He can score with a few swings and he prefers clay. With Etcheverry or Borges in the next round, Maroszan is only going on a run here if he’s playing peak tennis. I’ll happily enjoy watching him do that, but until he does the expectation is Kecmanovic in 4.
Khachanov vs Gea :
Hometown hero Arthur Gea is back, but he’s a little late to the party. Khachanov was really donating wins for a while, but managed to get himself together in Rome. When he’s playing well and feeling half-confident, he has a huge serve and good powerful groundstrokes. His backhand is extremely solid and in the past he tended to play his best at majors. The hole in his game is that he telegraphs his shots, but he should be able to wear Gea down as Arthur hasn’t really been at his best. Khachanov in 3-4.
Llamas Ruiz vs Tirante :
The buzz is that Llamas Ruiz is going to win this match. Most of the time you would like Tirante, but I guess they are trending in slightly different directions over the past week. Tirante had a great run in Rome beating Cobolli and Norrie, but he crashed out quickly against Rinderknech and looked rather flat. Thiago has a heavy forehand and good work ethic, but he doesn’t tend to dominate things from the baseline or on serve. Rome seems like a slight outlier. Llamas Ruiz hinted at big things last season, but lately he’s been delivering. Wins against Quinn, Moutet, Gaubus, Faria, and a three set loss to Medvedev are just about the level he’ll need to win against Tirante. I don’t think Pablo serves big enough to dominate Tirante, but the question here is how burnt out is Thiago? If he’s still tired from the Rome work, it’s Llamas Ruiz in 3. If he’s recovered and was tanking in Geneva for some extra rest, I would expect this to go 5.
Jacquet vs Trungelliti :
Trungelliti’s title win in Marrakech was one of the coolest stories of the season. He had formerly gotten in trouble for match fixing in what was a huge scandal, and described being ostracized by a lot of players since he admitted the wrong and listed some of his co-conspirators. He came back to tennis after his suspension, but was mired in the Challenger ranks. Bookmakers would often not allow betting on his matches, and despite being a wildly entertaining player, he just couldn’t get any momentum going even when he managed to qualify for a handful of majors. The title in Marrakech has gotten him up to 51 in the rankings, and a little breathing room is a nice reward for a long long journey. Since the title, things haven’t been so good. Losses to Merida Aguilar and Navone are okay, but the L to Svajda is pretty bad. Svajda is generally a lower tier on clay, so it’s very possible that Trungelliti is playing because he’s getting entry but isn’t fully healthy. Despite the skid, he managed to get to a third with Navone this past week which is fairly impressive given his finals run. This is a winnable match against Jacquet, and the hometown crowd will be rough but he is oddly well versed in having public opinion set against him.
Kyrian Jacquet is extremely fast, has incredible skill, and serves well when he needs to, but I see him playing close deciding sets against a wide range of opponents. If Trungelliti is still going through the motions because he can’t afford to take a break Jacquet can roll, but I think his backhand will be a slight liability here. I usually think qualifying is great to prime you for the task ahead, but going through three rounds of qualifying on clay can often be a detriment. Trungelliti in 4.
Borges vs Etcheverry :
I don’t really like Borges’ game on clay. He hits pretty flat, and his backhand tends to be the weaker wing. For some reason though, he has Etcheverry’s number. He beat him in three in Auckland early this year, and won again in Madrid. My brain says Etch is better, and should wear down Borges just by having the faster ball with more RPMs off both wings, but it seems like this is a bad matchup for Etcheverry. Borges in fourges.
Machac vs Bergs :
Machac has become an easy prediction because you cannot predict his matches. When he goes the distance, he seems to get injured. Whether he completes the match or not is the question, and Bergs is a bad opponent for a physical liability because his entire approach is to push the pace and try to wear down his opponent. Bergs doesn’t have a great backhand, and most of the work is done with a heavy forehand and a great commitment to rushing the net. Healthy Machac could win, but he’s not healthy. He just forfeited against Medvedev in Rome after beating Tsitsipas, so I’m expecting this match not to finish if it goes over 3 hours. Bergs with a forfeit.
Bonzi vs Zverev :
Bonzi sometimes breaks out some heroic performances, but Zverev is likely to drag him. Zverev at a major is pretty reliable these days, and with all the pressure on Sinner here he gets a chance to focus a little more than usual. Zverev in 3.
Droguet vs Mensik :
Titouan Droguet has a solid serve and a good baseline game. He’s tall so his consistency is pretty effective since he crunches the ball when he has time. All three of Mensik and Droguet’s previous matches came in 2023, and Droguet is 1-2 in those. Add that experience to Mensik’s recent mediocrity on clay, and this isn’t as locked up as Jakub’s fans would like. This should be a serving battle with a lot of heavy hitting. Mensik has one of the best serves on tour, so I’d give him a small edge here. My worry is that his stamina and fitness can come into question, and clay can be a grind. Mensik in 4, but given his recent results I would expect Droguet to win at least one set and a long match is not ideal for Jakub.
Halys vs Bellucci :
Halys has a powerful offense and he’s extremely skilled. Playing at home is a boost also. It adds up to a decent spot for him, but the one path past him is to expose his lateral movement. This is exactly what Bellucci does best since his forehand down the line has a lot of shape. It makes it extremely hard to read, and recent wins against Etcheverry and Burruchaga indicate that he is starting to find some decent tennis again (the first part of 2026 was real bad for him results-wise). Bellucci in 4. This is a shootout, and one of them has a better chance of playing defense.
Zheng vs Prizmic :
Michael Zheng has already notched some good wins on hardcourt, but him qualifying at RG is an unreal accomplishment. The win in the finals against De Jong was very solid, and the former NCAA champ is making good inroads into getting permanently on tour. Unfortunately here, he is facing Prizmic at the wrong time. Dino’s potential has exceeded his results in the past few seasons at times, but he just played his best level ever in Rome, including a highly entertaining win against Djokovic. I don’t know how committed Novak was to a deep run there, but Prizmic’s ballstriking was phenomenal and his commitment to offense at the end of big points was impressive. The one hole in Zheng’s game (for me) is that he struggles in backhand exchanges if his opponent is solid on that wing. I saw this first against Kopriva, and I think Prizmic will find some success there. Prizmic in 3.
Cina vs Opelka :
Cina came very close to qualifying at the USO last season, and his game is very explosive for a player who’s still eligible for the juniors. Cina’s serve and forehand are extremely good, and it seems that clay gives him a little more time to set up and ply his craft. This match is a very good draw for his style, because Opelka’s defense is not the best. Obviously Opelka can get to tiebreakers because he has one of the biggest deliveries on tour, but Cina should be able to hold often enough to earn the errors which Opelka will undoubtedly give up on clay. He’s just not great at making adjustments to bad bounces and his movement isn’t up to par here. Cina in 4.
Fritz vs Basavareddy :
This is a very lucky draw for whoever wins. Fritz is newly back to tennis and after a knee issue takes you out, it’s unlikely you play your best in a return. Add in that clay is not his best surface because he is 4% baby deer, and Basavareddy is the ideal opponent. Basavareddy has been more active and won a clay challenger recently so I think this will be unexpectedly close. Fritz wasn’t bad in his opener against Popyrin but he wasn’t really sharp either. I would not expect peak Fritz back until Wimbledon, and with a knee issue playing a lot of grass actually scares me a bit. Fritz in 4-5.
Blockx vs Wong :
Another surprising and excellent qualifying run came from Coleman Wong this week. Is he on my fantasy team? Yes. Is that why I love him so much? Yes. Is he actually quite good though? Yes. Did he actually qualify? No. Lucky loser Wong has a decent serve for a shorter baseliner, but can get into double fault trouble. He’s pretty solid from the baseline which will help here, but Blockx had one of the best stretches of clay-court play of anyone on tour over the past month. I just want to list some names that he beat because it really is impressive. Shapovalov, Cobolli, Nakashima, Auger-Aliassime, Cerundolo, Ruud. Blockx has a tremendous serve and forehand combo, and he’s shown great improvement on the backhand wing. He bears a slight resemblance to Raonic, but seems more physically durable. I think he’ll have a much less stressful time holding serve here. Blockx in 3-4.
Dellien vs Royer :
Royer’s serving and offensive skill make him a tough out even when he’s playing poorly, and that’s the case lately. He’s on a tough skid of losses, and Dellien has just completed a solid qualifying run. Dellien seems to posses one complete set of near-perfect tennis. From there, it often becomes a battle. Almost all his work his done on the forehand wing, so once his serving drops off a little, opponents can isolate his backhand. Dellien seems like the pick here, but their previous match on clay was a three set clash that Dellien barely won, and I am expecting another close one here. Hugo is solid, but Royer will have a lot of time to find his range and I think the hometown crowd will be a factor since getting back into a major is a big moment for Dellien. Dellien in 5.
Fonseca vs Pavlovic :
Fonseca lived up to his potential this year, and just when he was starting to look like the next big thing, Jodar appeared from the clouds. Despite getting overshadowed by a more consistent junior, Fonseca is still starting to hit the court more and get physically stronger. He should win here, but Pavlovic is no easy out. He’s tall and serves decent, and he has a tricky set of shots. The path (in my mind) past Fonseca is still to wear him down and hit heavy enough to make him force things, and Pavlovic is more of an offensive player. Fonseca in 3-4. First rounds can be tricky, but Pavlovic had a bit of an easy qualifying run with Barrios Vera and Darwin Blanch as his last two matches. This is a huge step up and Fonseca has had a good amount of rest since Rome.
Medjedovic vs Hanfmann :
Medjedovic won their previous meeting on clay in straight sets, and I think he’ll repeat the victory here. Hamad played excellent in Rome, and while he ran out of gas eventually, that fatigue seems to be after a few matches these days rather than after a few volleys. Medjedovic has a really deft touch and plays a lot of dropshots, and that’ll be the key against Hanfmann. Yannick serves huge and can get to overtime against anyone, but he’s not the best mover and his level has been inconsistent this year. Medjedovic in 4. I would call it in straight sets but Medjedovic can get pretty impatient and heat check himself at times.
Sonego vs Herbert :
Sonego has been pretty bad lately. Five losses in a row and a general impatience to end rallies is a bad formula on clay. This should be an easy win for him, but his form has just plummeted so it almost feels even. I would love to say that Herbert wins, but his qualifying run had some gifts. A start against Uchida (who doesn’t play much clay) and a walkover against Choinski were a big help, so I would say this match is fairly even. Sonego has lost to tour level players, and most of them had much better movement than Herbert. Pierre is one of the greatest doubles players of all time, and in singles he manages to make the right decisions so often that his less than dominant physical ability doesn’t get exposed. Here, I think Sonego’s aggressive hitting to the open court actually helps a bit since it’s the main way he can score on Herbert. I don’t think Lorenzo is going to elevate his level anytime soon, so neutral rallies almost favor Herbert because his technique is more reliable. The whole time I was writing this I was thinking Sonego could win in 5, but Herbert’s numbers against Riedi in the qualifier finals were decent. If Sonego wasn’t able to find the court before, I’m not sure why he would now. Herbert in 4.
Mpetshi Perricard vs Djokovic :
Djokovic may have lost to Prizmic in Rome, but he played a really good level in the first set there. At this point in his career, I think grinding through several long matches is possible, but uncertain. Djokovic used to be able to turn it up and guarantee wins against the second tier contenders, but now it feels like playing 2 or 3 guys like Rublev/Fils/Musetti/ADM is something he’ll be lucky to get through. Since it’s Djokovic, believing results outside of majors is not ideal, so I’m expecting a solid run here. His first test will be our first look at his stamina, because while he got a little fatigued against Prizmic, I don’t wholly buy that he was looking for a deep run at that event. Perricard’s serve and skill make this great tv, but I don’t think he’s been effective on clay this season. Djokovic’s returning was a bit rusty against Prizmic, but that just makes me expect a relatively respectable scoreline, not the upset. Djokovic in 3, or 4 if he does that thing where he drops the first set.
Women’s Singles :
Bronzetti vs Bouzkova :
This is likely to be a really good match. Bronzetti was playing poorly after a small injury layoff, but she found some good tennis in qualifying and managed to get into the main draw here. Considering her ranking has dropped to 173, this is a good boost. Bouzkova and Bronzetti have a pretty similar approach to the game, but the big difference to me is their weight of shot. Bronzetti hits a heavier ball, and I wonder if that won’t make an impact here. Bouzkova’s forehand seems to have gotten more tentative this season, and it allowed Ann Li to really do well in Strasbourg. Since Bronzetti is a little rusty, I am expecting Bouzkova to still be a tough out. Someone in 3. But whom? Probably Bouzkova.
Kostyuk vs Selekhmeteva :
Kostyuk’s run of back to back titles in Rouen and Madrid has a lot of buzz around her heading into this edition of Roland Garros. I am in the high expectations camp, but I am reminded that I also was last season. Last season Kostyuk came into the French in pretty good form, and was up a set and a break against Lys when she completely lost the plot. She lost most of the remaining games, and proceeded to struggle in the grass season also. Marta never really found her game again until late in the season, and while I don’t want to watch that, I am reminded that her game can be a bit of a roller coaster. Selekhmeteva has just changed the country she represents on tour to Spain, and I wonder if this means she’ll start having excellent shot selection and unlimited defense. Idk what my point is. Day one and brain already not want to do. Kostyuk in 2.
Wang vs Tagger :
Tagger is one of the exciting prospects on tour, and she has a pretty good draw here. Wang has lost four of her last five, and Tagger is a little more comfortable on a slower surface. Wang has the power and aggression to make this close, but their levels coming in suggest that Tagger will be a little more durable and patient. Tagger in 2.
Tomljanovic vs McNally :
Tomljanovic is on a bit of a skid on clay, and McNally is playing her best tennis since a long injury layoff. Add in that McNally won their three previous meetings, and I think this is a McNally win.
Kraus vs Bencic :
This is one where the data says “maybe” but the reaction to an upset would be mass surprise. Bencic has dropped a few matches on clay including a straight set loss to Kalinskaya. Kraus has been winning a bunch of matches recently and played great in qualifying. Even knowing that, I think myself and most people just feel Bencic will win. I noticed she changed her service motion a little bit recently, and while the added bend on her delivery seems to be getting her a second ball to work with, I think it actually slows things down a bit more than usual on clay. Bencic’s average level is as good as Kraus’s current one, so I will be going boring and expecting a Bencic win. I don’t think it will be straightforward, but Kraus’ play can be a bit of a roller coaster at times and the valleys are probably going to allow Bencic to dominate the rallies. Bencic in 2 with one very close, or Bencic in 3 if she starts slow.
Blinkova vs Starodubtseva :
Starodubtseva is a player in the Cibulkova style in the sense that once she locks into a good level of hitting she stays there. She can spray errors trying to create depth, but seems to be able to run 3-4 games at a time. Her clay results have been decent and she’s more active than Blinkova, but Blinkova beat her last year at the US Open so it’s hard to say she can dominate this. Blinkova isn’t great on clay, but she did just beat Fernandez which makes this tough to call. I’d lean slightly towards Starodubtseva in 3.
Valentova vs Linette :
Linette has enjoyed some nice coach-yelling and some practice raging lately, and it seems like she is not really enjoying tennis lately. For a player who is generally consistent and a great retriever, attitude matters. It’s easy to get results-oriented when you’re in a slump, and errors can feel like they’re going into a file to be used against you when you’re struggling. Linette will surely recover, but for now she’s probably in trouble here. Valentova spent a year playing some inconsistent tennis, but her power and serving are impressive enough when they land that it makes sense for her to aim high. Here I think she’s in better form, and her errors aren’t as problematic since Linette will be making some of her own. Valentova in 2.
Volynets vs Burel :
It’s good to see Burel active again, but she has 2 retirements in her recent outings, so this is tough. Volynets isn’t a big enough hitter to dominate on clay, but she’s still one of the better and more consistent defenders on tour. She will put extra balls back in play constantly, and I don’t think Burel’s game is sharp enough yet to avoid pressure and errors in those situations. Volynets in 2-3.
Baptiste vs Krejcikova :
There are levels to this, and knowing who is going to win this is a level I don’t think I’m at. Baptiste wasn’t expected to do much on clay, but she went on a run at Madrid that had me cheering out loud at my computer. Beating Paolini, Bencic, and Sabalenka is tremendous work, and Baptiste seems to be in the best shape of her career. She has power off both wings, but her serve is the big weapon. I do think she gives up control of rallies and fades back a bit too deep in the court at times, but her skill is extremely fun to watch and she’s able to generate depth even from difficult positions. Overall, she’s coming into this in great shape, and this is not really a fair draw considering that. Krejcikova just made the finals of the Parma Challenger, and wins against Osorio and Friedsam sit in my mind as proof that she’s committed to tennis again. For her, it seems likely that hunting majors is what’s left, so I like Baptiste at a normal event, and I like Baptiste slightly less at RG. This is probably the match of the day. Baptiste has elevated and I think she’ll be focused enough to weather the difficult patches here. I also think her physical ability is an edge here. She can make some difficult retrieves and Krejcikova has to be more careful with the ball. Baptiste in 3. Small obvious note, but if Krej can win this, she becomes a significant problem in the draw.
Jones vs Haddad Maia :
Haddad Maia still being in the top 100 makes very little sense to me. She’s still battling hard, but she seems to find ways to lose from any situation. Her forehand is still dangerous, but she misses on the final shots. Her mobility and defense seem good, but somehow her slump has inspired opponents not to bail out of rallies. I don’t know if it’s reasonable or just human, but I’m a little fatigued on expecting Haddad Maia to get it together. Usually players who stay active find their tennis again, but she just hasn’t. Jones has been grinding at the lower tier, but she’s been winning a lot matches. Jones in 2.
Kovinic vs Wang Xiyu :
Danka Kovinic did not look solid yet against Ferro, and I think Wang’s run through qualifying indicates this will be one-sided. Wang in 2.
Stearns vs Kenin :
Kenin has slowly improved her level since her biggest slump, but she’s still struggling to close out matches. I think she’ll be competitive in the first set, but Stearns is swinging a bit freer these days and is a bit quicker on defense. Stearns in 2-3.
Sorribes Tormo vs Korpatsch :
SST had some good wins at La Bisbal Challenger, and and was 5-0 against Korpatsch until last week, when she forfeited to her after losing the first set. The return to tennis is exciting for Sorribes Tormo, but I think Korpatsch is too consistent to dump this. Korpatsch is a grinder and defends well, and Tormo tends to win by frustrating her opponents. It’s hard to frustrate someone who wants to play a lot of tennis. Korpatsch in 3.
Frech vs Ruse :
Ruse has been much sharper lately, so I expect her to come through here. This season has really seen her potential coming to fruition. Frech is a great baseliner but her ways of scoring here are limited. Ruse hits a little bigger and is more comfortable on clay. Ruse in 3.
Raducanu vs Sierra :
Sierra has wins against Sonmez, Kalinina, and Yastremska recently so she enters this as the favorite. Raducanu’s style is better suited for fast courts and her injury issues also make clay a tough challenge. Sierra hits the ball hard off both wings and came up playing clay. Sierra in 2.
Andreeva vs Ferro :
Fiona Ferro is playing really well, so this is worth watching. Ferro’s backhand is very flat and she takes it down the line well, and her forehand is aggressive and can catch fire at any moment. She was formerly one of the best prospects around the tour, so her form is not to be ignored. For Andreeva, the plan here is to defend well and find Ferro’s backhand. She can likely just outlast her, but the crowds have been an issue for Andreeva in the past and certain French crowds can overstep the boundaries of polite chanting at times. Andreeva in 2, with one patch of Ferro winning 2-3 games in a row.
Bassols vs Arango :
Bassols actually came up with Bouzas Maneiro and seemed better at the time, but it’s taking her longer to get on tour. She has really solid technical strokes, and her run in qualifying was extremely promising. She beat Pliskova and Sasnovich in the last two rounds, which signifies a great ability to defend and a consistent and powerful level of baseline hitting. The latter is what is necessary for this round. Arango can be a veritable wall at times, and she has played some good tennis lately. Three sets with Bondar, a win against Siedel, and some active play make me think this is pretty even. Arango’s lack of power and slightly cautious shot selection make me think this is a tough matchup. Bassols (in form) hits a little bit bigger, and she’s not so hyper aggressive that Arango’s defense will be a big issue. I half think the qualifer is the pick here, as Pliskova and Sasnovich are two players I would expect to have a decent chance against Arango. Bassols in 3.
Bejlek vs Stephens :
Sloane decided on some tennis in qualifying, and it went well. She’s a tough out on clay because she hits big and defends well. Stephens has always been a curiously unique matchup because she plays very passive and uses moonballs, but she can also clunk big forehands and lands some heavy serves. It’s almost like she’s tempting her opponents to force something so she can counterpunch, but honestly in the past few seasons she hasn’t bothered to counterpunch. Here, Sloane is playing excellent and she has a good chance here. Bejlek is better and has solid defensive skills, but she also lost her last four matches in a row. This will come down to who makes more unforced errors, and I think Stephens is probably a little more consistent right now. If Bejlek magically finds her best tennis again, I think her speed on defense will keep Sloane from winning, but Bejlek’s best tennis hasn’t been on display lately. Stephens in 3.
Efremova vs Cirstea :
Efremova may be up against it here, but the talented junior has a bright future. She’s taken sets off Uchijima, Korpatsch, and won a match against Lulu Sun. At just 17, these are great results and this is good experience. Cirstea is having a great 2026 and clay has been her best surface, so she should win this in 2. Cirstea in 2.
Tauson vs Snigur :
Tauson has had back issues and has two withdrawals in her last three matches. It’s not great, and it gives Snigur a good chance even though Darya doesn’t really play her best on clay. Not much analysis here; Tauson when she’s healthy hits too big and will win in two. Tauson if she’s not 100% just isn’t physically capable of top level tennis and every match on tour physically requires top level tennis. Snigur via withdrawal of Tauson in 2.