2026 Roland Garros Women’s Seed Report: Aryna Sabalenka favorite to win in open field

Top 16

1. Arina Sabalenka

Sabalenka was a finalist at last year’s Roland Garros, and it says here she will take back the remaining time on Court Philippe-Chatrier and win in 2026. You can look at her losses in Madrid and Rome, or the fact that she has only won one of the last five majors, despite being the clear No. 1. But let’s be more charitable. She’s a lucrative player after the majors, and as long as that’s the case, she’s giving herself a chance. And as long as that’s the case, she’s our favorite.

2. Elena Rybakina

Rybakina is a much better clay court player than you might think based on her performance and pure power. (Trivia: Who was the last player to beat Serena Williams at Roland Garros?) She won the last major, and her performance hasn’t cooled down much. With the possibility of a final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner gone this year, perhaps Roland Garros will provide an Australian encore of No. 1 vs. No. 2 on the women’s side? Note that Rybakina has never made it past the quarterfinals at the French Open.

3. Iga Świętek

Her track record in Paris speaks for itself. In fact, it screams. Świętek has more titles (four) than defeats (three), but 2026 was a tough year, with early defeats, a change of manager, a perceived drop in confidence and food poisoning. She reopens her bakery in Rome, but loses a disastrous match to Elina Svitolina. Still, she returned to the venue with a resume worthy of a Hall of Fame induction. And the last time she caused so much concern was (June 2025). He responded by winning Wimbledon..

4. Coco Gauff

Gauff enters Paris as the defending champion and will focus on defense. What makes her effective on clay is not her power, but her court coverage, speed, and defense. Her play in Rome (losing in three sets in the final) is a metaphor for her game as a whole. She plays herself out of rough situations, tries to serve well, perseveres, and is ultimately able to get close to her top form. As long as she’s content with ugly wins, and she is, this may be her best surface yet.

5. Jessica Pegula

There’s a lot to like and admire about Pegula. She was steady and reliable, but Clay was not kind to her. (She lost badly to Marta Kostyuk in Madrid and played in just three games against Swientek in Rome.) Pegula lost to Royce Boisson at Roland Garros last year. Her professionalism, awareness and solid play are admirable, but if she’s going to win a major, it’s unlikely to come at Roland Garros.

6. Amanda Anisimova

Clay isn’t Anisimova’s best surface, but she reached her first major semifinal in Paris. A horrific wrist injury has kept her out of Madrid and Rome and is a cause for concern. It’s been a disappointing year for the 24-year-old after winning 12 times in the last two majors of 2025, but perhaps this is where she can turn things around. Note that she also has a new coach.

7. Elina Svitolina

The Roman champion comes to Paris with the greatest force. It’s all thanks to his mother, the Ukrainian coach and the 31-year-old player who is still in his prime. Despite her accomplishments, she has never reached a major final (she has reached the semifinals four times), and her chances are dwindling. After a glorious run in Rome, is this the time and place?

8. Mila Andreeva

Salon has determined that she is a future major winner, but there are still several steps to get there. Depending on her age, she has a teenage temperament. She has two titles (one on clay) but also some inexplicable defeats. Her final run in Madrid answered questions and provoked others. Her anticipation works especially well on clay courts, but her lack of kill shots does not.

9. Victoria Mboko

She made her major debut at Roland Garros last year, and the world took notice of her game, poise and command of the sport. She returned to the French Open as a top-10 player (and with a new coach, the reliable and well-traveled Wim Fisset). And she’s still a teenager.

10. Karolina Muchova

She is one step away from winning the French Open in 2023. Muchova is a very nice, fun, and versatile player, but she sometimes struggles to stay healthy and shut out games.

11. Belinda Bencic

She is a stable, mature professional player who does not fly a lot off the court, but knows how to win to the point.

12. Linda Noskova

She is one of eight Czechs in the top 50. Noskova might be the best player you’ve ever seen? She’s only 21 years old and at a career-high ranking.

13. Jasmine Paolini

Her slump grew a tail. A former Roland Garros finalist, she is unfortunately a .500 hitter this year, losing games as often as winning them. Perhaps this is the halfway point of her season?

14. Ekaterina Alexandrova

In 2025, she achieved a career-high ranking in the top 10 in her 30s. Like fellow Russian Karen Khachanov, all she does is win a lot of matches and rarely lose badly.

15. Marta Kostyuk

She seems to have reached a new level with two clay titles (Rouen and Madrid). Her backflip after the match became a hot topic on the internet. But it also provided a glimpse into her level of athleticism. Her confidence is booming, so watch out.

16. Naomi Osaka

Tennis’s greatest champion has turned into tennis’s greatest enigma. Osaka remains a formidable opponent, but her pilot light is flashing. Will she still be able to compete in a major tournament, and if not, how long can she stay in the arena?

Seeds 17 to 32

17. Iva Jovic

A talented and mature American teenager is set to make his Roland Garros debut.

18. Solana Cirstea

The Romanian veteran proved tough in his final season, defeating the world No. 1 in Rome. She enters Roland Garros in a career-high ranking.

19. Madison Keys

If she’s healthy enough (and if she can convince herself she can play on clay, which is an annual challenge), she can still hit as hard as anyone.

26. Haley Baptiste

Her top 25 finish also includes a clay takedown of Sabalenka in Madrid.

28. Anastasia Potapova

Potapova, currently playing for the Austrian national team, came through from the semi-finals in Madrid.

29. Elena Ostapenko

She feels a great deal of resentment. All former champions deserve mention.

30. Ang Lee

American players are quietly moving up the rankings.

dark horse meadow

Barbora Krejcikova: All former champions deserve mention. Her health is an issue, but please keep an eye on her if she starts to feel unwell.

Emma Laducanu: Now 23, she remains the strangest figure in tennis. She had one title and it happened to be Major, which skewed everything. She returns to Roland Garros with coach Andrew Richardson.

Kateřina Sinakova: she It was a sneaky threat that always avoided a fight.

Alexandra Ira: The crowd she draws is perhaps disproportionate to her accomplishments, but there’s still a lot to like.

Roi Boisson: She will be lucky to win a round or two due to her injury, but the 2025 semi-finalist deserves praise.

Zhang Qinwen: She’s slowed down due to injuries, but remember the gold medal she won at the 2024 Olympics? That was at Roland Garros.

Sofia Kenin: The former finalist has lost more than he has won since then, but it’s still tough on clay.

Katie McNally: of Originally from Cincinnati, He is healthy (only 24 years old) and taking action. (She is a former Roland Garros women’s finalist.)

Featured matches in the first round

• Dayana Yastremska vs. Paolini
• Andreeva vs. Fiona Ferro: Take a moment to read Ferro’s story and cheer her on in a winless game.
• Peyton Stearns vs. Kenin: Three sets of operatic battles await.
• Krejcikova vs. Baptist: Former champion and influential American.
• Gauff vs. Taylor Townsend: This should be an interesting debut for the defending champion.
• Jovic vs. Ila: Two people who are attracting attention will face off against each other.
• Leila Fernandez vs. Alicia Parks

doubles winner

Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Sinakova

Semi-final

Svitolina D. Rybakina
Excluding d. gauff

final

Sabalenka D. Svitolina

more from tennis sports illustrated

Add us as a preferred source google

to follow