The 2026 French Open has kicked into gear, and Wednesday and Thursday will feature second-round matches as the players with one win under their belt hope to make it two and progress further. Ahead of second-round play, here are the top 5 matches to watch for:
Five Best Women’s Second-Round Matches at the French Open
1. (17) Iva Jovic vs Emma Navarro
This is far from an unfamiliar matchup, as 17th seed Iva Jovic and Emma Navarro played just last week in Strasbourg, with Navarro winning in three sets and eventually claiming the title. With the match being so recent, an equally close contest is certainly on the table at Roland Garros. Both players are coming off a straight-set win in the first round and are in good form heading into this match. With Jovic and Navarro playing excellent tennis and being so evenly matched, this is shaping up to be one of the best matches of the second round.
2. Donna Vekic vs (16) Naomi Osaka
In this match, 16th seed Naomi Osaka will be looking to make the third round of the French Open for the first time since 2019, but Donna Vekic is far from an easy out and could provide a real challenge for Osaka. Osaka is currently 2-0 against Vekic, but their only match on clay ended in a third-set tiebreak and Vekic has been playing well, with a run to the final of a 125 and a straight-set win in the first round. While Osaka is certainly the favorite, Vekic has the capability to extend the match and force Osaka to raise her level.
3. (9) Victoria Mboko vs Katerina Siniakova
Katerina Siniakova just barely missed out on being seeded, and as a result she is one of the toughest players to face early in the draw. She’ll be up against ninth seed Victoria Mboko, who is coming off a dominant first-round win. Mboko showed her capabilities on clay last week in Strasbourg, but Siniakova is more seasoned on the surface and can make this matchup tricky for Mboko, especially if she utilizes the net, which was where Mboko’s first-round opponent Nikola Bartunkova found some success. However, Siniakova can often let advantages slip away from her, and against an opponent like Mboko, that trend will result in a competitive loss rather than a win.
4. Caty McNally vs (11) Belinda Bencic
Like Mboko, 11th seed Belinda Bencic has been saddled with one of the toughest unseeded players in the draw in the form of Caty McNally. McNally has been somewhat unlucky with her clay season draws this year, but managed to take a set off of Iga Swiatek in Rome, which is no small feat. Bencic has struggled on the surface this year, and with Roland Garros being her worst Grand Slam by far, there’s potential for an upset. McNally has been on the rise, and Bencic shouldn’t underestimate her despite the disparity in rankings.
5. (13) Jasmine Paolini vs Solana Sierra
13th seed Jasmine Paolini got through her first-round match in straight sets, but a comfortable win like that is an outlier in what has been a rough season. Most of her matches have been close three-setters, and her second-round opponent, Solana Sierra, absolutely has the potential to force one. Sierra’s first-round win was never in doubt as she dominated for the majority of her match against Emma Raducanu. This is Sierra’s first time in the second round of the French Open, so she’s playing good tennis with nothing to lose–a dangerous combination for Paolini.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
