2026 French Open action gets underway on Sunday with nearly one-third of the women’s slate scheduled to hit the red clay in Paris. Among them, Sara Bejlek squares off against veteran American Sloane Stephens. Nurein Ahmed, Ilemona Onekutu, and Tope Oke offer their insights. But who will advance?
French Open Day 1 Predictions
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Tamara Korpatsch
Nurein
This has all the ingredients of a marathon match. Sorribes Tormo is relentless from the baseline and will work her socks off. But Korpatsch plays the more efficient tennis between. I’ll take the German, but this could easily go the full distance.
Prediction: Korpatsch in 3
Ilemona
Sara Sorribes Tormo is one of the best clay-court grinders around and rarely gives away easy points. Tamara Korpatsch can play well on the surface but has had injury and form issues. Sorribes Tormo’s consistency and defensive skills make her the favorite.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 3
Tope
Sara Sorribes Tormo thrives on turning matches into battles of attrition, using smart court positioning and endless defensive coverage to frustrate opponents into errors. Tamara Korpatsch brings a similarly gritty approach, but the Spaniard’s superior movement and ability to absorb pressure give her a slight edge in the longer rallies that are likely to define this encounter and her experience and knack for winning ugly on clay should see her outlast Korpatsch in a hard-fought tussle.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 3
Lilli Tagger vs Wang Xinyu
Nurein
All eyes will be on the French Open junior champion Lilli Tagger. Tagger has talent and will enjoy the occasion, though Wang’s power advantage stands out for me in this matchup.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Ilemona
Wang Xinyu is the seeded player here and a reliable performer at Grand Slam level, capable of producing quality tennis from both wings with her flat, penetrating groundstrokes. Tagger is an Austrian prospect who has been making her way through the lower levels, but this is a significant leap in class. Wang’s consistency, bigger game, and ability to dictate play from the baseline should make this a relatively straightforward outing for the Chinese player.
Prediction: Wang Xinyu in 2
Tope
Xinyu Wang arrives in Paris with pedigree on her side but precious little form. A two-time French Open third-rounder, the Chinese star knows how to navigate the clay courts of Roland Garros, yet a three-match losing streak have raised serious questions about her form. That vulnerability will not be lost on Lilli Tagger, the Austrian teenager who reached the semi-finals of last year’s Junior French Open and has already shown she can thrive under the spotlight. Grand Slams are fertile ground for early-round shocks, and with Wang searching for confidence, Tagger looks capable of seizing the moment.
Prediction: Tagger in 2
Anna Blinkova vs Yulia Starodubtseva
Nurein
Starodubtseva has put together some solid performances this swing with victory over Madison Keys in Charleston quite easily her career highlight so far. The Ukrainian has improved steadily and can defend well on clay and should edge this.
Prediction: Starodubtseva in 2
Ilemona
Starodubtseva reached the third round here last year and has risen to a career-high ranking of 53, arriving as the more confident and in-form player. Blinkova’s career-high ranking was 34 but she has been operating well below that level recently, and her 2026 season has been underwhelming by comparison. Starodubtseva’s solid baseline game and positive Grand Slam momentum give her the edge in what could still be a competitive match.
Prediction: Starodubtseva in 3
Tope
Yuliia Starodubtseva comes into this matchup with the kind of clay-court momentum that can quietly shift expectations, while Anna Blinkova knows she has already solved this puzzle before after her straight-sets win at the 2025 US Open, the current Starodubtseva suggests a player steadily building control and confidence on clay, and with the ranking gap also leaning her way, she steps in looking less like an underdog and more like the player carrying the sharper edge into a potentially tight battle.
Prediction: Starodubtseva in 3
Sara Bejlek vs Sloane Stephens
Nurein
I’ll make the bold call and pick Stephens here. She is a former finalist and has been an underrated clay-court player at her peak. The key will be Stephens’ focus and intensity. If she starts well and keeps her forehand under control, she can trouble Bejlek. The Czech is winless in her last four matches after recovering from injury.
Prediction: Stephens in 3
Ilemona
Stephens entered through qualifying, needing three wins just to reach the main draw, arriving in Paris with only three main-draw wins since January. After a prolonged absence from the tour between February and September 2025, she has been trying to rebuild, but her form has been deeply inconsistent. Bejlek, by contrast, is a young Czech player in the ascending phase of her career who plays freely on clay. The contrast between where these two players are right now is stark, and Bejlek’s energy and current trajectory should carry the day.
Prediction: Bejlek in 2
Tope
Sara Bejlek continues to make waves on the WTA Tour, but this is the kind of matchup that will test just how ready she is for the next step as she faces a former Grand Slam champion in Sloane Stephens, whose experience and ability can still make life uncomfortable for younger opponents. That said, recent form tilts the balance toward Bejlek. The 19-year-old has been playing with greater consistency and intensity, while Stephens has struggled to string together wins in recent seasons. If she maintains her composure in the key moments, the rising Czech should have enough firepower and momentum to edge past the veteran and continue her upward trajectory.
Prediction: Bejlek in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
