2026 French Open Women's Singles Preview: All eyes on Alex Eala

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2026 French Open Women's Singles Preview: All eyes on Alex Eala image

By Joel Reyes

The long wait is finally over. Grand Slam season is here again, with the world’s top tennis stars flocking to Paris for the 2026 edition of the French Open. All eyes will be on Alex Eala as she looks to secure the Philippines’ first-ever match win at Roland Garros.

Here’s an in-depth preview of the women’s singles tournament, highlighting Eala and the other 2026 French Open favorites.

Players to watch in 2026 French Open

Alex Eala

Clay hasn’t been Eala’s strong suit but she has already made great strides this year on improving her game on the red dirt. She had her best finish in a WTA 1000 clay tournament at this year’s Italian Open, reaching the third round after beating Magdalena Frech and Xinyu Wang in Rome. She then thrilled fans with her performance against World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, going toe-to-toe with the reigning Australian Open champion before eventually losing in straight sets.

This will be Eala’s second straight appearance at Roland Garros. Her debut match in Paris didn’t go according to plan last year, losing in the first round to Emiliana Arango. Eala’s first-round showdown this year won’t get any easier, as she is scheduled to face World No. 17 Iva Jovic.

Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka has looked human since the 2026 season shifted to clay, posting a 4-2 record on the red dirt this year. She lost to Hailey Baptiste in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open before absorbing a shock defeat at the hands of Sorana Cirstea in the Round of 32 of the Italian Open.

Sabalenka has yet to win the French Open in her career, with her best chance coming in last year’s tournament. She faced Coco Gauff in the 2025 Roland Garros final, with the American securing a come-from-behind 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Coco Gauff

Gauff will enter this year’s French Open feeling good about herself after she produced a solid performance at the Italian Open. The American reached the final in Rome, where she lost in three sets to Elina Svitolina.

Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles in her career, including last year’s French Open. She will begin her title defense with a first-round clash against compatriot Taylor Townsend.

Elena Rybakina

Rybakina has been flying high this season, already winning a pair of singles titles. She opened 2026 with a Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open, beating Sabalenka in three sets in the final. She added another tournament win at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix last month, defeating Karolina Muchova in the Stuttgart final.

Rybakina, who has a 30-7 record this season, will open her 2026 French Open campaign against Veronika Erjavec.

Iga Swiatek

The Queen of Clay returns to Roland Garros with plenty of question marks surrounding her game. She has yet to win a title this season, with Swiatek carrying an 18-9 record ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam.

That being said, Swiatek is still one of the favorites to win this tournament as she has dominated the French Open in her illustrious career. The Polish star has won the Roland Garros event four times, capturing the title in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Swiatek will face teen wildcard Emerson Jones in the first round.

The protagonists are ready for the biggest clay event of the year. The 2026 French Open women’s singles tournament can’t come soon enough.

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