2026 Roland Garros Men's & Women's Round Two - Thursday Matches

Sinner vs Juan Cerundolo :

Sinner had a nice warmup match with Tabur, and this is another very comfortable spot for him. Cerundolo doesn’t really have the tools to hurt Sinner and his backhand is a bit defensive so it will be a frequent target. Since Sinner distributes the ball so evenly off both wings you can’t really protect a side against him, so I think this will be another straight set win for Sinner.

Landaluce vs Kopriva :

Landaluce may have gone five, but all these wins are bonuses for him. He really seems best on hardcourt at this point in his career, so clay points help him climb the rankings and get simpler draws. 5 with Prado is an indication that this has to be a difficult match. Kopriva had a 5 setter of his own against Moutet, and navigating the French crowd and Moutet’s exhausting array of offense required a great deal of resilience, stamina, and focus. Kopriva is a really good clay-court player and I’ve already said it but he’s very professional about his approach to tennis. He’s getting the most out of a less than explosive game, and I think he’s better on clay than Landaluce. This is talent against experience and consistency, and given Prado’s success against Landaluce he is not at his most consistent. 71 errors also adds to this notion. I like Kopriva here, and I think if he gets going early he can win in 4.

Rinderknech vs Berrettini :

Berrettini has been trading wins and losses frequently this season and I am a little surprised oddsmakers have this as an even contest. I would guess it’s because they have similar ability to hold serve here. Berrettini is a better mover, but his backhand can be rough at best and he’s been less than consistent. Rinderknech probably is more consistent from the baseline right now and has a great serve and volley game, but he can be a step slow for professional tennis and tends to winds up in a lot of 7-5/7-6 sets as a result. Whoever is more clutch here in the big moments should win, and I think that’s Rinderknech. He’s been able to win a few solid matches lately against Djere and Tirante, and those require a ton of baseline tennis. Berrettini is showing gradual improvements, but he’s not at the level he was before the injuries. I think it’s a long grind for Matteo if he wants to win, and I think Rinderknech is more match-fit and a little sharper. Rinderknech in 4-5.

Comesana vs Darderi :

Interesting note here that Comesana is 2-0 in this matchup. He beat him 6,4 on clay in 2022 and was leading by a set at the US Open last year when Darderi retired. This is one where on paper Darderi is operating in another tier but the match on the day will be tricky. Comesana beat Quinn 3-0 and for a guy who’s struggled for consistency, a long stretch of focus and winning is a good sign. This tournament has quickly become about fatigue and dealing with the heat, so I worried that Ofner would give Darderi problems. It just didn’t go that way, and even with cumulative fatigue, quick wins and days off can reset a player. It’s hard to even understand the difference between an average person’s “tired” and a pro tennis player. Their warmup sessions for matches look like my workouts, so the recovery can sometimes be significant and the wall can sometimes never come. I think we’ll see early that Comesana’s speed allows him to give Darderi problems (since Darderi is mostly a forehand-cardio heavy offense), but Darderi has been in much sharper form and should get his first win against Comesana just on the basis of being slightly more consistent in neutral rallies. Darderi in 4.

Struff vs Faria :

Struff and Bublik are a nice pairing. If you enjoy shotmaking and errors, these are your guys. The Struff win means he’s dangerous here, but I’m going to need him to beat Faria before I upgrade his status. Struff can be very impatient and solid defenders tend to upend him. His heavy forehand does allow him to hold serve more often on clay, but Faria has been extremely good this event. His play has been measured, he hasn’t hesitated to play offense when it’s available, and he’s tall which is useful in returning big serves. This is a spot where Struff is dangerous if he’s peaking, but I think his unforced errors are unlikely to be mirrored by Faria, who just dispatched another great offense in Shapo in straight sets. Faria in 3-4.

Hurkacz vs Tiafoe :

I would gladly sit courtside for this one. Hurkacz has been extremely active since he returned to the tour and it’s paying off. He’s not known for clay dominance, but he’s familiar with the surface and his serve is still huge here. Even if you remove the serve, his baseline play has been pretty good. Munar was frustrated and pressured against him often, and Hurkacz was able to break serve. Breaking Tiafoe is a way tougher task, but I think Tiafoe’s route to victory lately has been dragging his opponents into fatigue situations, and Hurkacz will be fresh here and likely playing short point a lot of the time. This winds up being a duel of offenses, and I think Hurkacz’s serving is way better right now. I like Tiafoe in late rallies, and he’s less likely to cough up errors, but he’s also a bit more passive, so Hurkacz will have some chances to land. A close win for Hurkacz in 4 or an appearance of peak Tiafoe are the outcomes I’m entertaining, and I think Hurkacz has already displayed the level necessary, while Tiafoe has had some somewhat middling weeks in a row.

Arnaldi vs Tsitsipas :

I wish I knew how long Arnaldi has been without the gauntlet. It is pretty clear that the Italian tennis federation has magical gauntlets, and only one person can have them at a time. They make the players extremely clutch, super consistent, and prone to upsetting any opponent. I’m only half-joking, because it seems like the prospects seem to all experience similar careers. Darderi was really rough for a while, then became a wall. Arnaldi was extremely consistent and rising fast, and then lost the ability to even hit the court for over a season. Cobolli was all out of sorts, and now this season he’s found some of his best tennis again. Paolini made two major finals, and went most of the last season without looking like herself. It probably is just random fatigue and tricky draws, but he point is that Arnaldi’s results for the last season or so can be tossed out the window. He played Tsitsipas in 2024 at the French and lost in 4, and I dont actually think this was during his slump so I am having a hard time tossing it.

Tsitsipas has enjoyed a slump of his own recently, and why not. Why not enjoy all aspects of the tour. While Stef has been struggling to win matches against solid opposition, Arnaldi has notched wins against De Minaur, Hurkacz, Borges, and he took a set off Jodar. He seems slightly better heading into this one, so I think it will be close. Tsitsipas is in the doldrums, and has lost a lot of support with his competitive tactics (hitting the ball at ppl at net) and his tantrums. I don’t think crowd support is the only factor here, but it seems to be that the Italian player will have the much larger section here, and hes bringing good form and belief into the match. Tsitsipas’ forehand is the biggest weapon on the court by far, but his backhand is the biggest liability. The Muller match ended in a quick forfeit, so I don’t have a ton to go off of here. I will say that Stefanos’ results hinge almost entirely on his serving. When he’s serving well, he’s still a top 20 player. When he’s badgering the net, he’s vulnerable to pretty much anyone. I think Arnaldi can get this, but he will have to weather the storm because Tsitsipas tends to play 4-5 near perfect games to start matches and Matteo can lose range at times. Arnaldi in 5.

Collignon vs Shelton :

I thought yesterday had some unknowable matchups, but today looks very tricky. Collignon is very powerful, extremely skillful, and a tiny bit slow. It makes clay his best surface, but he’s stepping up to a high tier here. For me, Shelton is not “not that good on clay”, he’s “not as good on clay”. His serve is still dangerous, and he seems very willing to play the surface and learn. The unforced errors can be a small issue, but he just straight setted a fairly dangerous opponent in Merida. I think Shelton is the much better athlete here, and in an offensive duel I tend to like the guy who can put more balls back in play when he needs to. This should definitely be close given Collignon’s solid serving, but I think rumors of Shelton being vulnerable here are inaccurate. It will require a very good performance to get him out of here, especially since he tends to level up at majors. Shelton in 4.

Auger-Aliassume vs Burruchaga :

Finally, Felix faces someone with a cooler name. For a good week after I learned about Roman Andres Burruchaga, every time I hit a shot I would turn to my opponent and say “BURRUCHAGAAAAAAA” and refuse to explain. I think this is the correct way to proceed. Felix is lucky to be in this round. He was down against Altmaier numerous times, and Altmaier was ahead a break for most of the fifth set. It sets up an unknowable spot for me, and this section seems to be all about me for some reason. Burruchaga doesn’t really have the type of overwhelming game to guarantee a win with the lead. This means that Felix (who is likely to have issues with errors again) will have 3-4 hours of chances to win even if he plays less than stellar. Altmaier probably is a bit trickier offensively than Burruchaga, which adds another wrinkle.

One of the reasons I wasn’t sure FAA would break back in the 5th against Altmaier is that his main issue is timing. Sometimes he just doesn’t time the ball well and sends things out. It means he can’t really guarantee returns in play when he’s down, and thats a rough thing for a top player. What he does well is that he hits the ball heavier more frequently than most players on tour. His fans are likely sick of the 5 set stress sessions, but it’s his overall weight of shot and the format that is allowing him to get these wins at majors. Altmaier was better, but it required more creativity and thought. Here I think bad Felix will appear at times, but he should be able to win behind his first serve eventually. I’m not too concerned about stamina since Felix is in pretty good shape and frequently plays extra sets of tennis, the only real worry is the 60+ errors he made. I think Burruchaga’s consistency and heavy ballstriking get at least one set, but it’s hard for me to picture him winning without help. FAA in 4-5.

Van Assche vs Nakashima :

There will be a lot of chatter about LVA’s comfort on clay and the home crowd here, but I think Nakashima is a tough matchup for him. Brandon isn’t comfortable on clay, but he’s still allowed to serve. He doesn’t really have dropshots and variety, but he does still hit the ball well. If Van Assche is to win, he’s going to have to play a near perfect match. He was good in the first round, but lost the last 5 matches before that to Challenger tour players (one was the JM Cerundolo actually but it’s still not a Nakashima level match). LVA can lock into a really consistent level of tennis and go for 5-6 games without missing, but I don’t think Nakashima is under a ton of pressure here. It reminds me a little of the FAA situation where the underdog is better suited to the conditions and in good form, but they don’t quite have the game to put the favorite away quick enough to ensure the upset. Nakashima in 4-5.

Vallejo vs Kouame :

If Kouame wins this I will buy a Kouame jersey or whatever merch he eventually has, because I feel bad doubting such an exciting player. Kouame scored an excellent straight set win against Cilic, and playing at home with no pressure he’s likely to do well here. The difference between Vallejo and Cilic is in the amount of tennis Kouame will have to play to win here. Vallejo is an excellent defender and is very consistent. Cilic is really not looking to grind out long matches and is more of an offensive threat at this point, so Kouame’s defense played a key role. Since Vallejo does operate at the Challenger level quite often, I think he’ll struggle a little in this matchup on offense, but overall I think he’s a bit stronger physically at this stage and will have better court position for most of the match. Vallejo in 4.

Vacherot vs Tabilo :

Vacherot seems to have injured his ankle and has withdrawn, which saves me from an extremely tricky matchup. Tabilo advances.

Cobolli vs Wu :

Cobolli beat Wu in Acapulco early in Yibing’s comeback, but that’s a match I think is important. Wu’s game is really aggressive and he takes the ball early, so if you’re not used to him he can take you by surprise. Cobolli is obviously way more seasoned on clay, and had a good warmup against Pellegrino who makes you play from all parts of the court. I think the rallies will be intense, and Cobolli’s backhand can get a little snatchy at times, but he’s just as good on offense as Wu so I think his experience will pay off. Cobolli in 4.

Diaz Acosta vs Tien :

Tien just won a title, and ignored the strange -170 price against Garin and won in 4 sets. I think fatigue sets in when he faces a big hitter, but this is not that. Diaz Acosta is a very good lefty but he tends to go with “outlast” rather than “defeat”. Him and Tien will look really even throughout if you don’t have a scoreboard, because he can rally from the baseline forever and he’s very fast. I don’t really see a huge edge for Tien, but because he’s navigated so many close matches lately against higher tier players it’s hard to really paint a picture where Diaz Acosta frustrates him into errors. I’m always wary of strange results when lefties play each other or when porcupines gather, but I think Tien should have the gastank here to compete and his backhand is stronger and more versatile than Diaz Acosta. Tien in 4ish.

F. Cerundolo vs Gaston :

I don’t know how they managed it, but Gaston vs Monfils was the perfect sendoff for Gael. They played as if they didn’t really care who won, and the highlights from this match are worth watching. It’s a well-needed paycheck for Gaston, and I think there is little chance for him to advance here. Cerundolo is playing really well and he moves forward too well to really get undone by Gaston. Cerundolo also hits the ball very hard and rather flat at times, so it’ll be tough for Hugo to really attempt dropshots efficiently. Cerundolo in 3-4.

Svajda vs Walton :

Both these guys can take a bow. Svajda managed to win against Popyrin which would be a solid upset, and then Walton upended Medvedev in a 5 set clash that was extremely impressive. Medvedev seemed to struggle a bit with the heat, and in press Walton said he feels it helps his game. Being from Australia, he clearly has experience training in heat, but he also said that he knows he isn’t the biggest hitter so the warm conditions gives his shots some extra pop. Walton’s press conference was pretty interesting, although I’ve spoiled some of it. I think I like Svajda here which is tricky. They’ve traded blowout wins in their most recent meetings, but Svajda has a win against Trungelliti recently and his claycourt woes have somewhat subsided. Walton clearly has the higher quality win, and I don’t expect this to be a blowout in either direction, but i think Svajda has been more active on clay and might just have less to think about than the guy who just defeated a former number one. Svajda in 4.

Women’s Singles :

Sabalenka vs Jacquemot :

Jacquemot was cramping last match, so I think she’ll have a hard time doing much here. She actually went to the umpire to argue about something at the end of the second set against Fruhvirtova, while clearly cramping. She was stretching her leg the entire time, and once she’d stretched it enough, she went back and served. Tennis players are so classy usually that when they game the system or do something shady I really am shocked. Mensik did something similar today against Navone in the fifth set tiebreak, and while the umpire did call a second serve there, Mensik took his time after the call. Cramping is so difficult to regulate and treat in tennis, but it’s leading to some sketchy gamesmanship at this event and I’d like to see umpires be more proactive about it. Sabalenka in 2. Elsa is a great player and will continue to improve, but defensively I don’t see her bothering Aryna much here.

Kasatkina vs Bandecchi :

Kasatkina beating Sonmez makes me think she can win this match also, despite Bandecchi being a very dangerous opponent. Bandecchi is pretty durable and has a heavy forehand. It was enough to get past Bucsa, and I think she does match up well with Kasatkina, it’s just the wrong time to play her because Darya is very consistent right now. When she’s not worried about missing, she tends to get more creative and more accurate and pick apart her opponents. This should be a long one, but Kasatkina in 2.

Jovic vs Navarro :

The Navarro title run was so unexpected to me that I almost have a hard time accepting her win against Jovic, but Iva has not really mastered clay yet. That feels wild to say since she took a set off Gauff, but the surface just takes away a lot of the pressure she’s able to apply on hardcourt and the errant bounces can be an issue. When you’re smaller, you tend to have to swing bigger to create the same shot as an opponent and little adjustments are hard to make. It seems like Navarro has locked into a very good level, and her athleticism is allowing her to defend. The result is some errors from Jovic and Navarro’s forehand seems pretty useful on clay. Prior to the injury setbacks, Navarro constantly wound up in third sets she shouldn’t have so I’m not expecting a blowout here, I just think she has to deviate from her main game plan less than Jovic and that’s making this a tough matchup. Navarro in 3.

Vekic vs Osaka :

Osaka managed to get past Siegemund in straight sets which is a good sign, and next is a possibly more comfortable matchup. Vekic is getting back into the swing of things, but her mobility isn’t great. That means Osaka’s serving can be effective and her power can make life difficult on Vekic. I expect Vekic to get caught guessing a good chunk of the time on defense in this, so it will take some luck for her to really threaten the win. They haven’t played on clay since 2019 (a 3 set win for Osaka in Stuttgart) so I’d just look at both their recent levels as the best indicator here. Osaka has been better and the win against Shnaider in particular I think represents the same type of offensive firepower that Vekic has. Osaka in 2.

Mboko vs Siniakova :

It’s impressive for Mboko to get things done on clay because I honestly don’t think her game is that well geared towards the surface yet. She’s a tremendous defender but her backhand is a little flat and her forehand isn’t really the type to penetrate through the court. She has a fairly winnable match here against Siniakova, who has more experience but perhaps not many ways to score. Siniakova’s serve can be a bit predictable, and I think Mboko getting in a bunch of returns every service game will make this a long day for Katerina. Mboko in 2-3 close sets. I really don’t think she’s peaked yet on this surface but her serving is way better than Siniakova’s.

Keys vs Ruzic :

Ruzic pulled off a nice three set win against Krueger, and the reward is another huge offense. Keys looked solid against Vandewinkel. When she loses in this event it will be to unforced errors, but I don’t know if Ruzic can earn enough of those and hold onto her serve to make this close. Keys in 2.

Shnaider vs Kessler :

Kessler had a really tough time with Guo despite the qualifer making 67 unforced errors. It was a marathon match with a bunch of breaks and every actual hold of serve basically equaled a set won. Kessler seemed to struggle when Guo got a full swing, but her length was also a bit off throughout. Maybe she can iron that out in the practice courts, but Shnaider hits big also and is way more consistent than Guo. Shnaider in 2.

Oliynikova vs Birrell :

Still computing all the chaos from Tuesday. It was almost like everything was going too smooth so the players got together in the locker room to shake things up. Birrell has barely won matches on clay at tour level, but managed to beat one of the second tier contenders for this title. I want to say that gives her a good shot at beating Oliynikova, but this is a specialist. Birrell’s play while she was redlining was exceptional, but Oliynikova puts back the extra ball with moonballs and slices and she plays dropshots effectively. It really seems like she plays by pushing one of 3 buttons, but this is one of those spots where I think her consistency and strategy will allow her to profit from Birrell’s slightly over-aggressive nature. Oliynikova in 3.

Gauff vs Sherif :

Sheriff played well in round one and she’s coming off a Challenger title, so the -5000 pricetag on Gauff feels almost mean. That being said, her style of play is to outlast opponents and play long rallies, and that isn’t possible against Gauff. Well, it’s possible, but I don’t see how Sherif can score consistently. Gauff in 2.

Boulter vs Potapova :

Boulter had her hands full against Urhobo, and I think she’ll be happy with the result. Urhobo seems like a little more consistency on offense is going to make her a very difficult out on clay, so it was not the worst outting for her either. Here I think Potapova matches Boulter’s offensive capabilities and she’s been battering and smashing away for the past two months quite effectively. Boulter isn’t going to be as adept defensively and that should let Potapova win in two entertaining sets.

Kalinskaya vs Korneeva :

I don’t think any Kalinskaya match is too straightforward, but this one feels especially tricky. Korneeva is playing excellent and is very aggressive, and Kalinskaya can look a bit passive out there at times. This is a player who got left on 1 by Swiatek, then left her on 1 in return in the next set. Kalinskaya (when she’s not injured) does seem to be able to turn it up when she has to, but I think she needs to get the job done with her defensive play here and after a strategic battle against Boisson, there may be some early culture shock. Kalinskaya in 3. Korneeva has won 5 titles in the past year and while they were on hardcourt, she’s playing some of her best tennis here so far.

Putintseva vs Osorio :

If the job were to guess which match will have the longest average points, it would be this one. Putintseva is a fantastic pusher with a plucky attitude and seemingly a very healthy supply of racquets. Osorio is one of the better counterpunchers in her weight class but marathon three-setters seem to be a constant fixture for her when she isn’t playing an offensive talent. Putintseva wins the backhand exchanges, but Osorio’s forehand is probably way more effective at scoring over the course of a long match. It’s a spot where Osorio is a bit more active about playing offensive tennis, but I almost feel like the player trying to force the issue in this might be making a mistake. I’m expecting a long tactical battle, and since Osorio has a better attitude and is fast enough to run down anything Putintseva offers, I think she’ll eventually be able to score with some timely dropshots and some good forehands down the line. Osorio in 3.

Liu vs Sakkari :

Sakkari pulled off a pretty surprising win in round one, and she saved a bunch of set points in the first. It lands her in the second round playing decently, but not in dominant fashion. She has some inconsistent patches, and Liu is playing extremely well on offense so this is tricky. The best aspect of Liu’s game right now is her serving, and her backhand returning is pretty aggressive which could be a factor since Sakkari gets into spells where she can’t land first serve. I do think Sakkari should win, I just don’t think she can do it without weathering a patch of games where Liu is controlling rallies and putting doubt in her head, and then I wonder why I would expect Sakkari to automatically recover in that situation in a third set when she’s been struggling for form lately. Sakkari in 2 or Liu in 3 is my guess here. It’s lazy, but I think Liu is dangerous in this matchup if Sakkari doesn’t apply pressure.

Chwalinksa vs Mertens :

Chwalinska pulled off a great win in round one. She completely dismantled Zheng and it sets up a match that is very interesting. Chwalinska is a small lefty with pretty traditional patterns. She sort of plays like a small Kvitova from the baseline, and you’d expect Mertens to beat most baseliners. I would never expect Mertens to dismiss Zheng the way that Chwalinska did though, and Mertens has dropped sets recently in some of her tough matches (Paolini, Pliskova, Kessler). Paolini and Pliskova are obviously better on paper than Maja, but the peak level of any given pro is a very difficult thing to deal with. I think this will be a close two set win for Mertens. She’s way more comfortable on clay than Zheng and better defensively which should help, but Chwalinska has not dropped a set yet so I’m not really convinced the bigger name just dominates.

Li vs Parry :

Someone told me Kalinina had blisters and that Parry would win. I said okay, but after a 6-0 first set I was not exactly feeling good about the hot tip. Somehow though, Parry kept Kalinina out there long enough to make inroads into the match, and she ended up winning with a very late break in the third. It’s a much-needed win for her, although it does set up a tough contest. Ann Li has been at her best this clay swing, and offensively she’s way more dangerous than Parry. I think outlasting Li used to be the simple plan, but here it’ll require a lot of really good tennis to win. Li in 2. Parry is just not as sharp as she has been in the past and I think Li will eventually find opportunities.

Anisimova vs Grabher :

I wasn’t sure how Anisimova would player after the layoff but she was dominant. I really think it was one of the best first matches back in quite some time, and she improved during the match. Next is a step up but another winnable match. Grabher has a heavy forehand and played well in round one. I think she can expose some lapses in Anisimova’s defending, but Amanda is bringing a dual attack here and the disparity in backhands is huge in this case. Anisimova in 2.