2026 Roland Garros Women's Round One - Remaining Matches

Women’s Singles :

Bandecchi vs Bucsa :

This one is very interesting. Bucsa has lost her last give matches, but they’re all against decent competition. Bandecchi has come through qualifying in excellent form, but not really against the caliber of player that Bucsa is. Bucsa tends to lose to unforced errors, and Bandecchi is very consistent and uses slices and a heavy forehand to score. Her serve is decent, but the edge there still goes to Bucsa. Good Bucsa wins, but it’s hard to summon a whole match full of good tennis during a slump. I’m hesitant to call for the upset outright, but I think Bandecchi’s playstyle is perfect to profit from Bucsa’s inconsistent shotmaking. Defense alone won’t outdo Cristina, but Bandecchi having such an effective forehand and decent footwork makes me think this will be close. Bucsa in 3.

Pegula vs Birrell :

Birrell is a solid threat on hardcourts, but so far her game hasn’t translated to clay. Pegula is one of the top 10 threats to win this event, and should get through this fairly easily.

Chwalinska vs Zheng :

Chwalinska could beat a lot of players in this draw, but this might end up being a bad matchup. So far in Zheng’s clay-court season, she’s been struggling with her form but still winning matches. Her movement on dirt isn’t there yet, but her hitting is a bit stronger than most opponents. Chwalinska may give her trouble, but I think Qinwen’s serving and backhand neutralize the tricky left-handed approach of her opponent. Zheng in 2-3 close sets.

Erjavec vs Rybakina :

Erjavec is a young athlete with a lot of promise, and after two solid seasons of qualifying for main draws and notching a few tour level wins, she’s hit the usual rough patch. The good news is she’s dropped back to challenger and 125k events and is grinding away. The tough news is that she’s drawn Rybakina in the first round. Elena is in excellent form and probably the 3rd favorite to win this (behind Sabalenka and Swiatek). Rybakina in 2.

Fruhvirtova vs Jacquemot :

Jacquemot is on a skid of five losses in a row, and despite Fruhvirtova not playing her best on clay generally, she was excellent in qualifying. It lines up for a rankings upset. Jacquemot has excellent variety and a solid serve, but Fruhvirtova is consistent from the baseline and probably can deal with the challenge. Fruhvirtova in 3.

Galfi vs Sherif :

All Sherif matches tend to be 2 hours long, but Galfi actually has the power to make things short. Dalma has been playing way better, and despite Sherifs good run in qualifying, I think her passive play and difficulties on serve make this a difficult matchup. The small caveat is that they’ve played a few times way in the past and traded wins, but I think Galfi in 2 is the most frequent outcome.

Gauff vs Townsend :

Taylor managed to play well on clay in Rome, and their one previous meeting was a Townsend win in Charleston on clay! Obviously Gauff is a healthy favorite here and the defending champion, but this can be a tricky opener. Most baseliners are huge underdogs against Gauff, so an early round against a huge offense is a half tricky spot. Obviously we all expect Gauff to roll, but this is a spot where she needs to have her serve/forehand issues ironed out early in the draw. Gauff in 2, or a scary Gauff in 3.

Gibson vs Putintseva :

Gibson is one of the bright points on the WTA this season, but she doesn’t seem to thrive on clay. Her backhand is very flat and she plays an aggressive style. She’s better than Putintseva, but the conditions are going to allow the defensive player to have a small edge in neutral rallies. Putintseva in 2, but I would expect one set to be very close.

Grabher vs Sramkova :

Sramkova has been in rough shape this season at times, but she played well during qualifying and enters this clash at the right time. Grabher has lost her last three and while she has a powerful forehand, her backhand can be a bit generic and Sramkova is decent at taking her forehand down the line. Sramkova in 3.

Kessler vs Guo :

Kessler isn’t known for clay, but she’s been pretty good this season. Guo might be in that same boat, but similarly she was solid in qualifying. For me, Kessler is a bit more consistent. Guo tends to have some very aggressive shotmaking, but I think it will take a lot of tennis to get through here so I’m expecting Kessler to win in a long 3 sets.

Potapova vs Joint :

Joint’s very consistent but hasn’t been at her best on clay. Potapova on the flip side has been one of the best performers so far this clay swing. Potapova in 2.

Jones E. vs Swiatek :

Emerson Jones is a dangerous prospect on hardcourt, but this doesn’t seem like a good draw at all. Jones plays a bit like Jovic but she’s not as physically strong yet, so she tends to fade in the second set at tour level. Swiatek is too good of a frontrunner, and despite having some confidence issues at times and a tough draw she’s basically tied in my mind for the top spot in this draw. If you look at the projected seeds, Sabalenka/Rybakina/Swiatek all have extremely tough paths. Swiatek in 2.

Jovic vs Eala :

Jovic is already on her way to the top tier on hardcourt, but clay seems to nerf her game a bit. Her aggressive hitting is still useful, but the slower shots seems retrievable, and she’s found herself in a number of long matches this season. Luckily, her last two close matches were against Gauff in Rome and Navarro in Strasbourg, two players who made the finals and won the title, respectively. I think Eala understands this surface a bit better, but has a similar issue of her power not being there to hit through the court. This should be a close match from the baseline, and in the end I think Jovic has just a bit more oomph on her shots which should be the difference. Jovic in 2 close sets.

Kalinina vs Parry :

Kalinina just withdrew in the finals against Marcinko which makes me think that she’s not likely to recover fully for this match. She didn’t disclose the reason, so I’m not really in a position to give a proper analysis here.

Kalinskaya vs Boisson :

Boisson has only won one match so far in her return to the tour, but she has looked better in each match so far. It gives her half a chance to be competitive against Kalinskaya, who is often injured and plays clay so aggressively that she loses random matches. She lost to Galfi, Jovic, and Ostapenko recently, but also beat Bencic and Siniakova. I think she wins just by being more consistent and comfortable on court, but Boisson was absolutely magical at Roland Garros last season and the crowd will be as involved as they can. Kalinskaya in 2, and if so Boisson will have to find points on another surface in order to stay on tour. I think that’s possible, but it’ll require her to level up.

Kasatkina vs Sonmez :

After a disappointing slump, Kasatkina has her groove back. She dropped down to the lower tier for a while, and found a good enough level to make the quarterfinals in Strasbourg. This seems dead even to me, but I suppose Kasatkina is expected to win based off her past results. Sonmez is extremely aggressive and can make unforced errors at times, but I don’t see why she’ll be terribly pressured against Kasatkina. This strikes me as a spot where Sonmez has a little more power on her shots, and where her speed will allow her to deal with Kasatkina’s consistency. I’ll probably eat it for this, but I think Sonmez can win this. If she’s impatiently smashing backhand into the net, then I guess that doesn’t happen. Sonmez in 3.

Korneeva vs Cocciaretto :

This is an excellent matchup. Korneeva was playing incredible in the qualifiers, and Cocciaretto is likely to match her power and ballstriking. I think Cocciaretto’s lateral movement is always a problem, but she seems to elevate against lower tier opponents. Cocciaretto in 3.

Li vs Zhang :

Zhang isn’t a player I expect to do great on clay, but she’s been solid recently. While she’s stepped it up, Li has played great tennis lately and seems to be thriving with a little more time to set up on clay. Li in 2. I think Li can extend rallies against Zhang but the opposite equation doesn’t seem so likely as Zhang is a little bit past her sprinting prime.

Liu vs Uchijima :

Liu won an ITF title, and followed it up by qualifying without dropping a set. It’s pretty impressive stuff, and she has a winnable match here. Uchijima’s last match was a loss to Parks, but she beat Valentova and Ponchet earlier this month, and those are right around Liu’s level. Liu seems like she’ll start off quicker, but this might be the first match where she drops a set. Liu in 3.

Marcinko vs Lys :

Lys is recovering from a knee injury, and Marcinko just won a title in Rabat. The draw wasn’t exactly stacked but Marcinko’s aggressive hitting should let her win here if Lys isn’t at her best. I don’t really love analyzing matches where the biggest factor is an injury because generally only her team will have the right info, but Marcinko in 2.

Mertens vs Maria :

Mertens! Maria defeats a lot of players by frustrating them with slices and dropshots, but Mertens gets extra time to set up on clay and should get this done in 2. They did play 3 on indoor clay last season, so I would be wary of a very specific prediction, but still Mertens in 2.

Mboko vs Bartunkova :

Bartunkova over the next few years is one of the most exciting stories I think I’ll watch. She has a tremendous serve, and very good skilled offense in the rally. Clay isn’t her best, but two weeks ago I might have liked her chances here. Mboko’s backhand is a bit flat and her results on clay haven’t been great. In Strasbourg though, she managed to figure some things out and I think her defending and newly found comfort on the surface will let her be the more steady player here. Mboko in 2.

Navarro vs Tjen :

Navarro slumped for quite some time, but randomly won a title in Strasbourg. Honestly the run made very little sense given her inactivity and relatively listless play this season, but we’ll take it. Navarro in good form is great for the tour because her heavy forehand and athleticism make for good clashes against the higher tier. Tjen could perhaps make this close on hardcourt, but clay should send this Navarro’s way.

Noskova vs Sakkari :

Noskova can throw in some bad matches, but she’s been solid this clay swing. Sakkari probably throws in a bad service game per set, and I think that while her defense against Noskova’s offense is a great matchup if both are peaking, Sakkari is not peaking right now. Noskova in 3.

Osorio vs Alexandrova :

Alexandrova is struggling lately, and Osorio has just played a few good matches in Rabat. This is possible for Alexandrova if she returns aggressively, but her frustrations can spill over into her play and Osorio knows how to extend rallies. Osorio in 3. She’ll have trouble holding onto her serve but I think she’s very comfortable in marathon matches.

Ostapenko vs Siedel :

Ostapenko’s run at RG is still one of the wildest sporting events of the past 20 years, and she’s still playing decent. Jelena is not in the best shape right now, but she’s playing decent tennis. Siedel is another huge offense, but I think defensively Ostapenko moves a bit better. Ostapenko in 2.

Paolini vs Yastremska :

These two have played seven times on tour already, and most of their matches are very interesting. This one is particularly interesting because Paolini is struggling mightily to find wins on tour, so Yastremska’s usual level may be enough to win. Yastremska just won the clay challenger in Parma, and bringing her best level in is big here. Playing a familiar opponent, one who you’ve lost a bunch to, and seeing a spot where she’s vulnerable and you’re in great form, this basically adds up to a spot where I think Yastremska will be able to maintain pretty excellent focus and seeing the ball go through the hoop will only improve her play. Yastremska in 3.

Fernandez vs Parks :

Parks has actually played tremendous tennis on clay lately, but she can still get a bit frustrated. It’s clear that part of her coaching staff has instructed her to slow down on her swings, and not worry about ending the rally. This is excellent strategy because she really does hit the ball fast and heavy enough to win without redlining. Unfortunately, Fernandez is a very frustrating defender and a player who Parks’ power won’t just unravel, so this is a very difficult test for Parks. Fernandez in 2.

Pridankina vs Oliynikova :

Oliynikova retired from her previous match, so this is a healthy mystery. Pridankina had a great run through qualifying though, and Oliynikova pretty much always takes the long route to win, so it’ll be close if Oliynikova is healthy. Oliynikova’s arrival on tour is excellent, but her style is to extend rallies, and play a style somewhat between Tatjana Maria and Marie Bouzkova, so this is possible for any solid opponent.

Quevedo vs Jeanjean :

Early in the season I was very impressed with Quevedo’s game. She got into some spots where I expected her to win, but errors flowed. She has really solid swings as far as the technique, but she’s a bit like Emerson Jones and Jovic in that she’s looking to create on every ball. Finding your range in the transition to the pro tour is tough because you’re just looking to redirect a heavier ball than you’re used to, but this past week Quevedo looks like she’s found that ability. She was very consistent against Kostovic, and the win against Maristany is solid also. Now she has a winnable match that will basically answer the question as far as her consistency.

Jeanjean has been a problem for many players on tour. She mostly scores on her forehand side, but she’s a very good defender and is willing to use moonballs and slices to frustrate opponents. This second gear of keeping an opponent out there as long as it takes (if you feel like you’re losing the tug of war already) is really useful even at the pro level, and Leolia is great at it. So here it’s basically about Quevedo’s stamina and percentages. Her backhand down the line is a big help here, but if she’s winning this will be about ball drills over and over. I thinks she’s ready to win this, and being able to score off both wings gives her a slight edge as long as she doesn’t get anxious. Quevedo in 3.

Rakhimova vs Cristian :

Jacqueline Cristian maximizes tour friendships by spending 3 hours with every opponent. She also improves their games and experience by allowing each opponent to be ahead a break or two in deciding sets. It’s really exemplary stuff, so even though she should probably win this match in two based on their recent results, I think it could be close. Cristian wins with excellent defense and resilience. When she gets down in the scoreline, she seems to be able to think a bit more clearly, and her ability to trade shots while doing sprint drills back and forth reminds me a bit of Linette. Rakhimova has beaten her twice, but this was on hardcourt. It’s much tougher to get the job done on clay, and Cristian just had a semifinal appearance while Rakhimova has lost 4 of her last 5. Cristian in 3.

Anisimova vs Rakotamanga Rajaonah :

I’m not sure about this one. Anisimova hasn’t played since Miami, so her sharpness is a big question. Rakotamanga’s game is a bit like Eala’s or Fernandez’s, but she’s maybe a year or two away from making big impact on tour. Anisimova should win in two, but multiple month layoffs are pretty good at randomizing results in an early round.

Ruzic vs Krueger :

Krueger hasn’t done terribly on clay, but her qualifying run here was pretty surprising. The surface just isn’t the best for her, but the added time to run down shots lets her tee off at times and her power negates the surface in those stretches. I’d expect Ruzic to be comfortable on clay, but it seems like she is struggling lately. Losses to Putintseva and Sorribes Tormo don’t really inspire me, so I think this is Krueger in 2-3.

Sabalenka vs Bouzas Maneiro :

Sabalenka should run through this match fairly easily, even though Bouzas Maneiro does tend to play to the level of her opposition. Aryna may have lost in the finals last season and lost a few surprising matches in this Euro swing, but she was in good shape to win the title a year ago and I think had conditions not been windy she’d have gotten through. Conditions were windy though, and she navigated it about as well as Medvedev navigated Monte Carlo. Sabalenka has looked unplayable one round, then lost in three to an offensive talent twice in recent weeks, so I’m wondering how she’ll do if she matches up against Osaka / Keys in the 4th round. Here she should win in 2.

Samsonova vs Teichmann :

Samsonova has donated a bunch of wins this year and Teichmann is 2-0 against her. Granted, those matches were in 2019, but Jill has just found solid form on clay. Samsonova should win this but it could be a little close. Samsonova in 3.

Shnaider vs Zarazua :

Shnaider has the power and accuracy that’s necessary to eclipse Zarazua’s defending, and Renata has had a rough run recently. I like Shnaider in 2.

Siegemund vs Osaka :

Osaka and Siegemund have not played in 8 years, but split four matches when they did, including two on clay. Osaka is the Medvedev of the WTA in terms of being known for not enjoying clay, but she’s quietly notching wins this season on the surface and she should be able to win a sprint here. I don’t like her chances if it becomes a marathon, because a mental battle here is not one she’s likely to enjoy. Siegemund will 100% go to moonballs and slices and dropshots and try to make this dirty, so Osaka will need to stay pretty focused on her side of the net and ignore the antics and fistpumps on the other. Osaka in 2 or Siegemund in 3.

Svitolina vs Bondar :

This is not a cool first round. Bondar has put in so much good work over the last two months, including a straight set win against Svitolina in Madrid that now looks even better given the Rome title. Bondar also won their previous meeting on hardcourt at the 2025 US Open, so I don’t see a way this will be easy. Svitolina tends to win behind her defense and heavy hitting, but her serving is a bit underrated at times. Bondar has heavy hitting and big offense of her own, and I think her willingness to go big and ability to do so is what’s allowed her to wrest control from Svitolina in the past. With the Rome title, and Bondar’s momentum slowing a bit, I think Svitolina keeps her run going, but it would make a lot of sense if this was a close match. Svitolina in 2-3.

Udvardy vs Golubic :

Golubic has a ton of wins lately at the lower level, but Udvardy is the player who has impressed me lately. She’s always been a scrappy defender, but her commitment to big swings on offense and aggressive returning has brought her game up a level. Since Golubic has not much of a serve delivery, I think Udvardy will have a lot of chances to break in this match. The Golubic argument is really her shotmaking. She has probably the best one-hander on tour (soon to be Tagger) and very good defensive slices and lobs. Udvardy should apply pressure, but Golubic with control can score as well. Close match, I’d lean Udvardy in 3 simply because she’s been working so hard on her game.

Urhobo vs Boulter :

I’ve gone mostly square this whole event, so let’s get one wrong. This one raises some questions for me. If you look at Urhobo’s results and filter by clay, you will see a ton of green (wins) and very little red (losses). This is her best surface, and she’s a very solid defender. Conversely, Boulter is known as not the best mover on the surface, and while her serve and offense can click at any time, she can also be forced into errors when things are tough. I am very tempted to think that Urhobo can win this match. Whether it actually happens depends almost entirely on Boulter’s level here. She just lost to Zakharaova 11 days ago, but Zakharova’s offensive presence is way stronger than Urhobo’s. Boulter also lost to Lys and Podrez, but they’re both better than Urhobo also. The trouble with calling the big upset is that the tour player’s losses won’t really look that bad because most of the players on tour can bring a good level some of the time. I’ll settle for saying that Urhobo will win a set. Boulter in 3.

Vandewinkel vs Keys :

Tough draw for Vandewinkel. She has a really big serve and a great offense, so the future is bright. Unfortunately, Keys also has a really big serve and a great offense, and her past and future seem equally bright. Keys in 2, but since she retired in her last outting against Parry something wild may occur here.

Vekic vs Tubello :

This is another one that may be deceptively close. Tubello has a bunch of second tier wins on clay, and playing at home with a wildcard is a good spot for her. Vekic can be a top 50 level player, but she can also get a bit flustered at times and lose her timing. Half expect this to go to three because of Vekic’s inconsistency, but Tubello’s serve will be under a lot of pressure here. Vekic in 3.

Waltert vs Siniakova :

Simona Walter is playing well lately, and so is her opponent. Siniakova had a much better 2025 in doubles, but the past few months she’s been getting back into the focus on tour in singles. This match is winnable for Siniakova, but she’s struggled to serve out matches lately and Waltert has won a bunch. Winning matches doesn’t always guarantee future success, but it does mean that you are able to navigate those situations well when they arise. I think Siniakova hits a bit bigger than Waltert, but might still wind up in a third set. Someone in 3.

Zakharova vs Muchova :

I would not want to be a fly in Zakharova’s house. She is one of the most reliable players on tour for swatting things aggressively, and this should be a fun match. Zakharova was losing matches on tour for a while due to unforced errors, but her constant aggression eventually turned into a good level of play, and the only trouble here is that her opponent is one of the best defenders in terms of skill on tour. Muchova should be able to frustrate her opponent, and when she has opportunities her dropshots and a heavy forehand should get things done. First rounds are chaos, but this is one she should win. Muchova in 2.