So many possibilities at the year\u2019s second Grand Slam. In the culmination of the clay-court season, nearly anything and everything is possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will Iga Swiatek, suddenly looking vulnerable, rally and win her\u00a0fifth\u00a0title at Roland Garros in six years? Can World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka break through and win her first major on clay? Is it time for Coco Gauff, who reached the final here at the age of 18? Or Mirra Andreeva — the youngest player in the PIF WTA Rankings — who actually\u00a0is\u00a018?<\/p>\n
What about Rome Champion Jasmine Paolini, a finalist last year, or Zheng Qinwen<\/a>, who won the last time they played here, taking home the Olympic gold medal in singles?<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t have any expectations for myself, and of course any expectations for other players,\u201d Sabalenka told reporters in Paris. \u201cYou know, Grand Slams are tricky tournaments. Everyone feels a lot of pressure, and there is so many upsets on the tournaments — I have been recently — on the Grand Slams.<\/p>\n \u201cSo whatever\u2019s going to happen going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to unpack here, so let\u2019s get to it:<\/p>\n The heavy hitters lane<\/strong> No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka:<\/strong> Won a single match her first two years, then lost in the third round three years in a row, semifinals and quarterfinals the past two years.<\/p>\n No. 2 Coco Gauff:<\/strong> A finalist in 2022 and semifinalist in 2024 — sturdy overall record of 20-5.<\/p>\n No. 3 Jessica Pegula:<\/strong> Quarterfinalist in 2022, did not play last year because of an injury.<\/p>\n No. 4 Jasmine Paolini:<\/strong> Won three matches in five previous appearances before reaching last year\u2019s final, falling to …<\/p>\n No. 5 Iga Swiatek:<\/strong> Champion in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024.<\/p>\n Swiatek\u2019s Paris resume deserves its own banner<\/strong><\/p>\n The 23-year-old from Poland hasn\u2019t lost here in nearly four years. Let that one sink in for a moment. She\u2019s riding a winning streak of 21 straight.<\/p>\n Only Chris Evert (29, 1974-1981), Monica Seles (25, 1990-1996) and Justine Henin (24, 2005-2010) have won more consecutive matches at Roland Garros in the Open Era.<\/p>\n Swiatek can become the first Open Era woman to win four consecutive titles here — and the first in more than a century, following Jeanne Matthey (1909-1912) and Suzanne Lenglen (1920-1923).<\/p>\n Only two other women in the Open Era have won four straight titles at\u00a0any\u00a0Grand Slam — Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon (six, 1982-1987) and Chris Evert at the US Open (four, 1975-1978).<\/p>\n While Australian Margaret Court was an extraordinary 20-1, (.952) at Roland Garros, winning five titles, Swiatek has the next best Open Era record in Paris, at 35-2 (.946). A trip to the semifinals — no guarantee with Jelena Ostapenko a possible fourth-round opponent — would equal Court\u2019s winning percentage, doubling her match-victory total.<\/p>\n Swiatek and Sloane Stephens are tied for the most Roland Garros match wins among active players, with 35 apiece.<\/p>\n Are the pursuers closing in?<\/strong><\/p>\n Coco Gauff: <\/strong>Her only Grand Slam singles title came on hard courts at the US Open, but she is No. 3 in the new WTA clay-court power rankings<\/a>. Gauff\u2019s second career title came on the dirt at the WTA 125 in Parma, and she was the only player in the field to reach the finals this year at both Madrid and Rome.<\/p>\n Aryna Sabalenka:<\/strong> Took her third title in Madrid and followed it up with a credible effort in Rome despite not being her best, beating Anastasia Potapova, Sofia Kenin and Marta Kostyuk before falling to Zheng Qinwen.<\/p>\n Jasmine Paolini: <\/strong>The first Italian player of either gender to win the singles title in Rome in 40 years — and then she added the doubles crown with Sara Errani. Won six matches here last year, defeating Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals and semifinals.<\/p>\n Game. Set. Stats.<\/strong> (Minimum of 5 matches)<\/p>\n Lowest-ranked players to win at Roland Garros<\/strong><\/p>\n Since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975:<\/p>\n Iga Swiatek 2020 (No. 54), Jelena Ostapenko 2017 (No. 47), Barbora Krejcikova 2021 (No. 33), Francesca Schiavone 2010 (No. 17), Justine Henin 2005 (No. 12).<\/p>\n Perfect runs<\/strong><\/p>\n Seven women in the Open Era have won at Roland Garros without dropping a set: Evonne Goolagong (1971), Billie Jean King (1972), Chris Evert (1974), Steffi Graf (1988), Arantxa S\u00e1nchez Vicario (1994), Justine Henin (2006-07) and Iga Swiatek (2020).<\/p>\n Unqualified success<\/strong><\/p>\n A qualifier has never reached the women\u2019s singles final at Roland Garros in the Open Era. Nadia Podoroska came close, losing to eventual winner Swiatek in the 2020 semifinals. Sixteen qualifiers will find themselves in the main draw after Friday\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n Where the wild things \u2026 aren\u2019t<\/strong><\/p>\n A wild card has yet to reach the women\u2019s singles final at Roland Garros in the Open Era. Mary Pierce went the furthest, losing to eventual winner Serena Williams in the 2002 quarterfinal. This year six of the eight wild cards are from France.<\/p>\n WTA 1000 winners: Will it translate?<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are the six women who followed up a win in Madrid or Rome with a title at Roland Garros: Chris Evert (1974-75, 1980), Steffi Graf (1987), Monica Seles (1990), Serena Williams (2002, 2013), Maria Sharapova (2012, 2014), Iga Swiatek 2022, 2024.<\/p>\n Will Sabalenka (Madrid winner) or Paolini (Rome winner) follow suit?<\/p>\n Note: Only Williams (2013) and Swiatek (2024) won all three titles in the same year.<\/p>\n Next Gen, New Again & Nearly There<\/strong> Past precedent: How far can youth go on the terre battue?<\/strong><\/p>\n A teenager has won at Roland Garros eight times — and five of those instances were courtesy of the legendary Monica Seles and Steffi Graf.<\/p>\n At 16 years and 177 days, Seles in 1990 was the youngest women\u2019s winner at Roland Garros in the Open Era. She did it again in 1992 and 1993. Graf was a back-to-back winner in 1987 and 1988, at the ages of 17 and 18.\u00a0<\/p>\n Arantxa S\u00e1nchez Vicario won the title in 1989 at the age of 17, Chris Evert (1974) and Iga Swiatek (2020) were 19-year-old champions.<\/p>\n Jelena Ostapenko began the 2017 French Open as a 19-year-old, but turned 20 two days before winning the title.<\/p>\n At the other end of the spectrum \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Serena Williams, at 33 years and 241 days, was the oldest titlist at Roland Garros in the Open Era.\u00a0<\/p>\n Players on the rebound<\/strong><\/p>\n Dangerous floaters<\/strong>: Outside the Top 20, but inside the conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n RG Vibes: Style, Social & Smarts<\/strong> While the grounds were abuzz with qualifying matches on Tuesday, Sabalenka and Swiatek had a practice hit, surrounded by beautiful gardens, in the total privacy of Court 1.<\/p>\n Four shades of pink — who knew?<\/strong><\/p>\n Naomi Osaka\u2019s signature Nike Osaka GP Challenge 1 PRM shoes<\/a> feature four branded shades — Pink Foam, Pale Pink, Hyper Pink and Polarized Pink.<\/p>\n \u201cSpring is sakura season,\u201d Osaka wrote. \u201cThe girlies are gonna love this one.\u201d<\/p>\n Hail, the Italian champion<\/strong><\/p>\n Jasmine Paolini\u2019s fresh title in Rome had fans yelling congratulations to the Italian when she first took to the practice courts.<\/p>\n Quiz: How well do you know Roland Garros?<\/strong><\/p>\n The terre battue awaits, but before first ball, how well do you really know Roland Garros? From teenage breakthroughs to surprise champions and stats that separate contenders from the rest, this quiz covers the quirks, milestones and key moments that define Paris. Whether you\u2019ve followed every rally or just tuned in for the drama, it\u2019s time to test your clay-court IQ.<\/p>\n First-round fireworks, late-round obstacles<\/strong><\/p>\n The 2025 Roland Garros draw is here \u2026 and it\u2019s anything but straightforward.<\/p>\n Iga Swiatek, seeded No. 5, has landed in a loaded section that includes Jelena Ostapenko (who’s never lost to her) and Elena Rybakina. Throw in a few heavyweight first-round matchups and early landmines for the top seeds, and the road to the trophy feels more treacherous than ever. Here\u2019s what (and who) to keep an eye on. Check out our full breakdown.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nBig Five: Their history in Paris in one sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nBest winning percentage on clay in 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\nYouth in the mix: Youngest contenders to know<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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\nWhat\u2019s buzzing before the first ball?<\/strong><\/p>\n