Emma Raducanu Prepares for a Tricky Start to her French Open
Roland Garros
May 21, 2026
Emma Raducanu will try to shake off the ring-rust at Roland Garros on Monday.
She has never been past the second round in Paris. Therefore she will doubtless keep her expectations realistic for this particular major.
Emma Raducanu will want to be fit enough to go deep at Wimbledon 2026, though.
The French Open will be a stepping stone towards that end. And the 2021 US Open winner faces a tough test early at the clay-court Slam.
Raducanu will have to hit the ground running at Roland Garros when she faces the 21-year-old Argentine, Solana Sierra.
Although the South American starts as the underdog, she sits at a career-high 64 in the world rankings – and knows Emma is currently vulnerable.
Raducanu did at least look competitive when she was defeated in straight sets by Diane Parry in Strasbourg.
Emma took the second set to a tie-break – and looked to be moving well at last. There were seeds of self-belief – and only her serve really let her down at the death.
It should be a great match against Sierra as Raducanu tries to rise to the big occasion in Paris.
And another Brit, Jacob Fearnley has the huge carrot of a second-round showdown with Jannik Sinner on the cards.
First he must pull off something of a shock by beating Juan Manuel Cerundolo in his opener.
Meanwhile Coco Gauff faces her compatriot Taylor Townsend in the very first round as she seeks to defend her title on the Parisian clay.
Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff will be two superstars on show at Wimbledon 2026!
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