Coco Gauff entered the 2025 French Open final as an underdog. Gauff was scheduled to face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for the 2025 French Open title, even though she entered the tournament as No. 2 in the women’s rankings.
Gauff overcame adversity to defeat Sabalenka in three sets to win the 2025 French Open title. It was the first time in her career that Gauff won this event.
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From now on, she will aim for her second consecutive victory.
The 2026 French Open bracket was announced on Thursday, giving fans a glimpse of Gauff’s path to a repeat performance. Gauff, who will play at Roland Garros as the No. 4 seed in 2026, will have an even tougher road this time around.
2026 French Open Women’s Draw: Round 1 Coco Gauff vs. Taylor Townsend
Gauff’s first match of the tournament will be against American Taylor Townsend. The two faced off only once in their careers, with Townsend emerging victorious.
If Gauff is able to advance, she won’t face a higher-ranked opponent until the third round, when she will face No. 28 Anastasia Potapova.
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No. 3 Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Jelena Rybakina are also in the bottom half of women’s singles, so it could be difficult for Gauff to get back to the finals.
Sabalenka is once again No. 1 on the women’s team, but it hasn’t always been easy. She likely won’t face a major challenge until the fourth round, where she could face either No. 17 Iva Jovic or No. 16 Naomi Osaka. Further down the bracket, Sabalenka could face No. 5 Jessica Pegula.
Even if Sabalenka and Gauff are destined to meet again at this event, it won’t happen until the final.
2026 French Open men’s draw: Jannik Sinner aiming for career Grand Slam
Jannik Sinner’s pursuit of a career Grand Slam received a major boost after Carlos Alcaraz missed the 2026 French Open (and Wimbledon) due to injury. Sinner and Alcaraz met in last year’s final, with Sinner taking an early lead but losing.
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Sinner’s 2026 French Open begins with a match against wild card Clement Tabour. Deep in the bracket, Sinner could face No. 5 Ben Shelton. This may be the Sinner’s toughest opponent until the event gets pretty deep.
There is far more talent in the bottom half of the men’s bracket. Among them are Alexander Zverev in second place, Novak Djokovic in third place and Felix Auger-Aliassime in fourth place. Sinner has a better record against all three players, but is only 6-5 against Djokovic and would be at an advantage should he face one of them in the men’s final.
2026 French Open Schedule
The 2026 French Open will begin on Sunday, May 24th. The first round will be played on Sunday and Monday, with the second round starting on Wednesday, May 27th.
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From there, the event will whittle the contestants down to the semi-finals, which begin on June 4th. At that time, the girls will be on the court. The men’s semi-final will take place the following day, Friday, June 5th.
The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday, June 6th. The men’s final will conclude the event on Sunday, June 7th. Roland Garros has not yet announced the match time for the final.
