The Roland-Garros 2026 women's draw sets up a spectacular showdown. Four players stand clearly above the rest, and the draw has paired them into two potential semifinal blockbusters: Aryna Sabalenka versus Coco Gauff in the top half, Iga Swiatek versus Elena Rybakina in the bottom.
Sabalenka, the world number one and top seed, opens against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The two-time Australian and US Open champion is still searching for her first clay-court Grand Slam title. Her path could cross Iva Jovic or Naomi Osaka in the fourth round, both capable of producing upsets on their day.
Gauff, the defending champion and fourth seed, begins her title defence against fellow American Taylor Townsend. The 22-year-old could face an in-form Anastasia Potapova in the third round, fresh off strong results in Madrid and Rome. Should both hold serve through to the last four, a Gauff-Sabalenka semifinal would be the match of the tournament.
In the bottom half, four-time champion Swiatek, seeded third, may need to overcome 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko to reach the second week. The Pole has never beaten the Latvian, making it a significant hurdle. Her projected quarterfinal opponent is Rome champion Elina Svitolina.
Rybakina, the second seed, has the most open quarter on paper. The Kazakh, armed with one of the most powerful serves in the women's game, remains the only player in the top four without a Roland-Garros title. Sabalenka and Rybakina can only meet in the final, raising the prospect of a blockbuster title match on the Parisian clay.
The main draw begins on Sunday, May 24. Rarely has a Grand Slam women's draw promised so much star power at the top and so many question marks along the way.
