May 21, 2026 3:05 PM

Who are among the women’s contenders to look out for at the French Open?

The following are some of the contenders for the women's singles title at the French Open, which begins on Sunday: ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZAKHSTAN) * World ranking: 2 Two-time French Open quarter-finalist Rybakina started 2026 on a high note as she won her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open, her first since Wimbledon 2022. Rybakina, who could not go past the fourth round of any major last year, turned things around at the WTA Finals in November where she beat world number one Aryna Sabalenk...

May 21, 2026 3:35 PM

Swiatek seeks clay redemption as she targets fifth Roland Garros crown

Iga Swiatek heads into the French Open without a claycourt title since her Roland Garros triumph in 2024, but the Pole will still be among the leading contenders as she targets a seventh Grand Slam crown at her most successful major. The 24-year-old has dominated in Paris in recent seasons. In 2024 she was the third woman to win three straight French Open titles, following Justine Henin and Monica Seles, cementing her reputation as the standout claycourt player of her generation. However, Swia...

May 18, 2026 12:47 PM

Tennis-Svitolina fights off Gauff to win third Italian Open title

Elina Svitolina signalled her French Open ambitions by battling past world number four Coco Gauff 6-4 6-7(3) 6-2 in the Italian Open final on Saturday to lift her first claycourt title of the season ahead of Roland Garros. Svitolina twice battled from a break down to level a tight first set at 4-4, and the Ukrainian held on under huge pressure during exhausting rallies to get ahead in the ninth game with some powerful hitting. A couple of untimely double faults from Gauff's racket in the next ...

June 15, 2025 1:24 PM

Jannik Sinner seeks to put disappointment of French Open defeat behind him

World number one Jannik Sinner wants to use the Halle Open as a chance to bounce back from sleepless nights after his agonising loss to rival Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final this month. In a thrilling showdown, Sinner took the first two sets and had three match points in the fourth set, but Spaniard Alcaraz persevered to grind out a 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) win in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros. Asked if he had thought about the championship point...

June 9, 2025 9:57 AM

Prince of Clay Alcaraz battles back from the brink to retain French Open crown

Carlos Alcaraz battled from the brink of a first Grand Slam final loss to outlast Jannik Sinner in a French Open title clash for the ages on Sunday and keep his crown, cementing his status as the Prince of Clay in Roland Garros' post-Rafa Nadal era. In a scintillating showdown between the torch-bearers of a new generation, the 22-year-old saved three match points in the fourth set to win 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) and continue his dominance over Sinner with his fifth straight victory and e...

June 6, 2025 9:32 AM

Sabalenka downs holder Swiatek to set up French Open final with Gauff

World number one Aryna Sabalenka battled past four-times champion Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open final with a 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 win on Thursday that ended the Pole's reign in Paris and snapped her 26-game winning streak at the tournament. The Belarusian will face 2022 finalist Coco Gauff in Saturday's showcase match after the American crushed French hopes with a straight-sets victory over wild card Lois Boisson. Sabalenka's power proved too much for defending champion Swiatek, who was...

June 5, 2025 9:12 AM

Boisson lights up French Open, Sinner and Djokovic book semi-final showdown

Wild card Lois Boisson lit up the French Open on Wednesday when the home hope downed sixth-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner. While Sinner stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches after back-to-back titles at the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in January, Boisson, ranked 361st, thrilled the home crowd with a dazzling performance. Three-time French Open winner Nov...

June 4, 2025 9:11 AM

Alcaraz bludgeons Paul to reach French Open semis, Swiatek to face Sabalenka

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz steamrolled past American 12th-seed Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4 at the French Open on Tuesday with a jaw-dropping display of attacking tennis in one of the most one-sided men's quarter-finals in Paris in recent memory. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, who is looking to become the first woman in the professional era to win four consecutive titles in Paris, also punched her semi-final ticket with a straight sets win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to set up a mouth-wat...

June 3, 2025 9:19 AM

Djokovic hits French Open ton, Sinner sublime, Bublik stuns Draper

Three-times champion Novak Djokovic reached a century of wins at the French Open in a straight sets victory against Cameron Norrie on Monday and top seed Jannik Sinner produced another masterclass to also blaze into the quarter-finals. Men's fifth seed Jack Draper bowed out though, as did women's third seed Jessica Pegula who was stunned by world France's world number 361 Lois Boisson. Serbian Djokovic, the sixth seed, looked serene in outclassing Britain's Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2 to edge closer to...

June 2, 2025 9:33 AM

Swiatek digs herself out of deep hole, Alcaraz powers on at French Open

Four-time champion Iga Swiatek clawed her way back from the brink to reach the French Open quarter-finals by defeating her claycourt nemesis Elena Rybakina while men's title holder Carlos Alcaraz also went through after a tough workout on Sunday. Fifth seed Swiatek looked out of sorts as she trailed 6-1 2-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier, leaving the crowd stunned. But Swiatek found her groove and some grit to prevail 1-6 6-3 7-5. Her final opponent from last year, Jasmine Paolini, was on the wron...