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Thursday, June 4, 2026

RG.12- Destiny's Child

On Day 12 in Paris we learned that "destiny" beats "inevitability."




Mirra Andreeva, still only 19 years old, has been viewed as a future slam winner for a few years now. The Hordette burst out of the juniors in 2023, quickly reaching a 1000 Round of 16 (Madrid) just a few months after playing in the AO girls' singles final. Come the slam season that spring/summer, she reached the 3rd Round at Roland Garros and 4th Round at Wimbledon in her tournament debuts.

Since then, on occasion her immature outbursts, while befitting a teenager, often left a bad taste in one's mouth and made one wonder, with raised eyebrow, whether her moment of tennis "destiny" might have to be rolled back a bit before becoming a reality. That said, the notion has never been challengerd that Andreeva *would* win her maiden major title, likely followed by a handful more, quite possibly beginning very soon.

It was still just a matter of exactly *when* it would happen. Never IF.

Andreeva reached her maiden slam SF at age 17 in Paris in '24, and a season later won back-to-back 1000 titles in Dubai (cracking the Top 10) and Indian Wells (posting her first career #1 win over Aryna Sabalenka).

A three time finalist this season, she came into today's semifinal match-up with two '26 titles (one on clay in Linz) to her credit and the most clay court wins on tour this spring, with 20 in her first 23 outings. But one of the matches she'd lost came in the Madrid final, where Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk had bested her in straights to pick up *her* biggest career title, skipped the post-match handshake (as continues to be the pattern when Ukrainian players face opponents, such as Andreeva, who hail from Russia ever since that nation's 2022 invasion and brutal, ongoing war), then did a celebratory on-court backflip while Andreeva was a crying mess on her chair a few feet away.

Kostyuk showed up with an unblemished 17-0 mark on the dirt this year, with consecutive Top 10 wins over four-time champion Iga Swiatek and her own beloved countrywoman Elina Svitolina to reach her maiden major semifinal, looking every bit the "inevitable" star that her persona and top-flight game has made her seem about to be the last few years.

Was today the day that Kostyuk's imminent rise would add yet another chapter to her story, or the moment where Andreeva would take a huge step toward asserting her own slam destiny, trying to do so before the clock ticks away her claim on the title of "phenom?" For, you know, a player kind of needs to win a major before age 20 to get in "under the wire," since in tennis terms the "adult" threshold is unofficially crossed once the teen years are in the rearview mirror, meaning that it's time to place "the next one" moniker on the shoulders of another.

Andreeva's run to this point hadn't been entirely wiped clean of her past outbursts. She'd tossed some rackets at this major, and yelled at her player's box, and took a step back when a portion of the crowd got loudly behind the efforts of an oppenent. But the teen came into this SF as the highest seed (#8) remaining by a wide margin, as the only one with a previous slam SF (at RG, no less) and after having dropped just one set through the first five rounds.

Was it possible that *hers* was already the most experienced presence amongst a very small crowd on a very big stage? And would she respond accordingly? In a word, yes. Yes, she would.

In the opening games, both players were forced to adjust to today's version of the windy conditions that took Sabalenka down in flames yesterday. The teenager found her form far more quickly, as #15 seed Kostyuk DF'd twice in opening game and was broken, then Andreeva rallied for five straight points to dig out of a love/40 hole to consolidate her break with an important hold of serve.

Andreeva then jumped on Kostyuk's groundstrokes a game later to further build upon her lead, going up a double-break at 3-0. Kostyuk tried to keep the set from quickly getting away, saving a GP on Andreeva's serve in a two-deuce game 4, only to see the Hordette still hold to go up 4-0. After falling behind 15/40 on serve in the next game, Kostyuk ultimately staved off five total BP before finally reaching her first GP in any game since the opener. An Andreeva long backhand shot finally got the Ukrainian on the board at 4-1.

But Kostyuk's slight push proved to be too little, too late. Andreeva's quick love hold for 5-1 was backed up by her continued ability to play a clean brand of tennis completely uneffected by the conditions (good job, Coach Conchita!) ever since she'd climbed out of the triple-BP hole in game 2.

After reaching 30/30 on serve in game 7, twice Kostyuk's unforced errors presented Andreeva with a chance to finish off the set. On her second BP/SP, Andreeva got the break to take the set 6-1 courtesy of a backhand error (UE #17 in the set) from Kostyuk. The win represented the first set won by the teenager in the the now three-match head-to-head series between the two.

The 2nd set began with Kostyuk seemingly -- at least at first -- having adjusted her game to the moment, not going for too much and trying to stabilize her ship. A backhand down the line winner denied Andreeva on a GP, then a deep ball forced an error from the Russian to give Kostyuk her first BP since game 2 of the 1st. But the moment wouldn't last, as she once again couldn't restrain herself and went for too much on a sitter in the short court, firing a forehand shot into the net and wasting the opportunity. Two points later, a Kostyuk ball bounced off the net cord and landed on her own side of the court. Andreeva led 1-0.

In game 2, Kostyuk again didn't hold back on a 30/30 forehand, sending it long to go down BP. Andreeva's well-placed backhand into the corner got the break to lead 2-0, and she backed it up with a hold at 15 a game later. Already down a break, Kostyuk *had* to hold serve in game 3 or, even at *this* crazy RG, her chances for a comeback would probably be nil.

She took a 40/15 lead, but had to fight herself as well as an in-form Andreeva to accomplish the task, missing a volley off the net cord on GP #1, and DF'ing on the second. A backhand error off an Andreeva high-bouncing deep ball (a tactic that had tied up Kostyuk since the start of the match) on GP #3, and a sprayed forehand on GP #4, delayed the inevitable (whatever it may be). Finally, on her fifth GP, Kostyuk's crosscourt backhand drop shot from behind the left doubles alley provided a ball that Andreeva couldn't get to, giving her the hold to stay close at 3-1.

But Andreeva bounced back, with a touch of help. After a Kostyuk return winner and a seeming DF from the teenager, the Ukrainian appeared to be up love/30. But chair umpire Kader Nouni inspected the mark and deemed the serve in (HawkEye disagreed), so Kostyuk's return error stood. Moments later, Kostyuk's missed forehand down the line prevented her from reaching BP, and Andreeva held to go up 4-1.

It was now, with the score at 6-1/4-1, that it was announced that the Chatrier roof would close due to incoming rain (they couldn't have done it *between* sets... do they not have weather radar in Paris?), meaning that the court conditions would soon change. It seemed to be good news for Kostyuk, if she could hold on that long.

With the court slowly being half-covered in shadows as the roof made its way across as play went on, Kostyuk missed on a forehand to fall behind 15/30, and then netted another to give Andreeva a BP. An Andreeva error spared Kostyuk, who then began to hit bigger off the ground as the possibility of the wind altering the ball's course began to dissipate. She got the hold for 4-2, then felt her momentum carry over into Andreeva's service game. Kostyuk ended a long rally with a sliced short forehand and elicited an error from the 19-year old to go up love/30, as the crowd began to stir in Kostyuk's favor (shades of French fans last year as Andreeva lost to Lois Boisson in the QF, when she went off the rails after having led 5-3 in the 1st and holding 2 SP, ultimately losing in straights to the wild card Pastry).

Andreeva DF'd, then fired a shot long to be broken at love, putting the set back on serve at 4-3. Suddenly the notion of Kostyuk's "inevitability" coming of age in this event seemed like a reality again. But for that to happen Andreeva would possibly need to crumble on the doorstep of her first major final, reverting back to her emotional, sometimes difficult to watch "younger years" (you know, a few months ago).

But Andreeva said, "Nope, that's not happening."

If the roof had been closed between sets, one wonders if things might have played out differently, with more time for Kostyuk to work with, but operating with a small margin of error, she *had* to continue her flow without a misstep. But misstep is what the Ukrainian did. Once again going for too much on her groundstrokes in game 7, Kostyuk's shots began to miss. After falling behind love/30, she overshot a crosscourt forhehand to fall behind 15/40. Andreeva stepped in to fire off a forehand that took Kostyuk wide, then she followed the shot to the net for a put-away overhead to get the break for 5-2.

Eleventh-hour crisis averted, Andreeva served for the final. Kostyuk's forehand miss to end a 19-shot, game-starting rally in game 9 provided Andreeva a nudge, if she even needed it, toward the finish. Another too-big forehand error from Kostyuk on the next point only further cleared the teenager's path, as she held at 15 to win 6-1/6-3.

Thus, destiny fulfilled... almost.



While Kostyuk's career-best clay run ends, her journey continues. She seems closer to her destination than she did before the open of this spring, and maybe even than she was at the start of this Roland Garros.

Andreeva becomes the first Russian slam finalist since Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at this same event five years ago. It's been a dozen years since a Hordette lifted a major title trophy (Maria Sharapova at the '14 RG), and nineteen since the feat was performed by a Russian teen (also Sharapova, at age 19 at the '07 AO). Andreeva was *born* three months later.

Maybe Mirra really is destiny's child.






=DAY 12 NOTES=
...meanwhile, in the other semifinal, we got another chapter in a storybook story on the terre battue.



One could easily mistake today's match between #25 Diana Shnaider and qualifier Maja Chwalinska as a 1st Round match in Strasbourg, not a major semifinal for a berth in a slam singles final.

But there was no chance that Chwalinska would even *be* in the MD of Strasbourg. Not because she was too busy playing RG qualifying in Paris at the time a few weeks ago, but because before this slam the 24-year old Pole had only appeared in *four* tour-level MD -- one per season -- between 2023-26. Ranked #114, she played her way into this RG, but as she continued to win she was worried about having the money to pay for her unexpectedly extended stay at a hotel while she was visiting the city.

My, how quickly things can change.

But what does stay true about women's tennis is that no matter how big the babes get, or how hard they hit the ball, there's always room for a small player with a versatile game, a creative mind, and the ability to remain calm in the face of the storm going on both around and inside her.

That has become the very definition of Chwalinska as a player at this Roland Garros.

At the moment, there is maybe no one quite like her, riding a wave of lovable, did-I-do-that? disbelief in a creative game style that until the past two weeks had never been quite enough to even allow her to crack the Top 100, nor post a Top 50 win, reach a tour-level semifinal or even win more than just one match (almost four year ago at SW19) in her two previous slam MD appearances. The last time a qualifier truly took a major by storm, Emma Raducanu had *at least* reached the second week of Wimbledon in her lone major before her qualifier-to-champion run in New York a few months later.

Chwalinska's is almost a blank slate, but one now filled up with a racket bag full of memories that no one -- not just her -- will ever truly forget.

On the other side of the net from Chwalinska today, Shnaider was not a big ball basher, though her variety of shots at least made her closer in form to Chwalinska herself than the like of the Sabalenkas and Rybakinas of the WTA tour. The Hordette didn't reach *her* maiden slam semi with a fairy tale (only maybe more fanciful) run ala her opponent, but had done it by reeling off love 3rd set wins over Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka, benefiting just one day ago from the world #1's epic collapse on a windy Chatrier.

With a closed roof and better tactics, the two settled into a 1st set today filled will long rallies and stunning winners. Thing is, Shnaider, especially with less rest between matches, paid for it. Meanwhile, Chwalinska *caused* it, an act that allowed her mini-legend to grow three sizes on this day.

Chwalinska held in a three-deuce game to start, then Shnaider saved a BP to hold in game 2. But after that the two would combine for one of the more enjoyable first sets you'll find in tennis this year, lasting as long (at 1:18) as the entire SF that preceded it, and filled with a series of slices, drops shots, lobs, surprising crosscourt passes, balls chased into the margins and points extended beyond reason that ended up going to the player who was, once again, "the most tenacious."

Oh, and *Shnaider* was pretty darn good in her own right, too.

After exchanging breaks of serve in games 4 and 5, both would manage to hold until reaching a tie-break faceoff. Shnaider took early 3-1 and 4-2 leads, but then Chwalinska's magic racket denied yet another opponent glory at this RG (make that #9). The Pole's drop shot tied things up at 4-4, then two points later she guessed right (I mean, unless she's psychic or something... hmm, you don't think?) on a Shnaider choice of shot on a ball at the net, reflexively lobbing a winner over the Hordette to reach SP. Shanider's missed backhand down the line put the qualifier, with the 7-4 win, one set from reaching an unexpected -- to stay the least - major final.



As the 2nd set played out, one thing was clear -- well, other than that the match's highlights package was going to be SICK -- and it was that Chwalinska wasn't going anywhere.

The two again exchanged breaks (this time in games 1 & 2), as well as visits from a physio after their physically draining opening set, but even as the rallies grew just a *tad* shorter because one of the two might occasionally wish to bring things to a close, for their own good, the head-spinning, smile-inducing, old-school nature of the creativity of the action brought to mind a revelatory match from a few years ago between two similarly-styled players in Aga Radwanska (another Pole) and Roberta Vinci, a match in which one couldn't help but be glued to every point because you never knew what shot one, or the other, might pull off next.

Unfortunately, that match is also one that disappeared from YouTube a few years ago, but it'll live forever in the hearts of anyone who saw it.

Finally, not surprisingly, it was Chwalinska who drew the final blood in the match, going up 15/40 on Shnaider's serve in game 9, again utilizing a drop shot to perfection as the scrambling, tiring Hordette couldn't quite reach it in time to produce another magnficient tennis moment (even if it'd been a case of Maja responding with something *even better*). It gave the Pole a break lead at 5-4.

Serving for the match (and the final, unbelievably), Chwalinska took a 40/15 lead and, as it should have been, she ended things on her own terms with a backhand winner down the line to win 7-6(4)/6-4.



The match produced nearly fifty rallies of nine or more shots, with Chwalinska holding a commanding 31-18 lead.

Chwalinska is the second qualifier in the Open era to reach a major final (after Raducanu in 2021... has it been *five* years already?), the first to ever do it at Roland Garros, and just the third (after Evonne Goolagong in 1971, and Chris Evert in 1973) to reach the final in Paris in her first MD appearance in the tournament.

Calm on the outside, but with a "storm" on the inside (as she noted after the match), the #114-ranked player in the world is now set to make her Top 30 debut.



Humble, with an everyone's "little sister" feel having developed around her over the course of this event, Chwalinska is clearly more than initially may meet the eye. Having battled injuries, depression and a size/power deficit pretty much every time she walks onto a tennis court in order to get here, the Pole's resilience, smarts and inventiveness have become the story of the this Roland Garros.

But, hey, she's still got one more match to play. Oh, joy.

And like I said...



...the first champions of Roland Garros in 2026 have been crowned, and they're the same ones who were crowned in 2025.



Top-seeded Italians Sara Errani & Andrea Vavassori successfully defended their RG MX on Thursday with a 4-6/6-3 [10-4] win in the final over Gaby Dabrowski & Evan King. They've now claimed four of the last seven mixed majors, with back-to-back titles at two different tournaments (along with the 2024-25 U.S. Open).

It's Errani's tenth career major, along with her six in women's doubles. As far as overall (WS/WD/MX) career slam wins, she trails only Katerina Siniakova (11, though she could add another by the weekend), Barbora Krejcikova (12), Venus Williams (23) and, yes, Serena Williams (39) amongst *active* women on tour.



...in the juniors, three of the top four seeds are in the semifinals, all but #1-seed Ksenia Efremova, who was upset in Round 1.

#12 Alisa Oktiabreva won an all-Hordette QF battle over qualifier Ekaterina Dotsenko (who defeated Efremova), and she'll be joined by the #4-seeded Czech Jana Kovackova (who's also still in the running for a third straight girls' doubles slam win, too, though this time without sister Alena), #3 Victoria Luiza Barros (looking to become the first Brazilian to win a girls' singles crown) and #2 Sun Xinran (who could become the first Chinese girls' champ at RG).

...and, in wheelchairs, the latest slam match-up between Yui Kamiji and Diede de Groot has been set, only this time it'll be in the *semis* rather than another final. #4-seeded de Groot (though she's back up the #2 in the rankings) has defeated #1 Kamiji in two of their last three meetings, including a 6-1/6-0 win in Barcelona just before RG, after dropping four straight to her longtime rival in 2024-25 both before and after undergoing hip surgery.

The other final four match-up will pit Li Xiaohui (AO26 champ) against 20-year old Pastry Ksenia Chasteau, who followed up her win over veteran Aniek Van Koot with another win over Kgothatso Montjane today to reach her maiden slam singles semi.

Kamiji won her *first* match-up with de Groot at this event today, joining with Zhu Zhenzhen to defeat de Groot/Van Koot in the doubles semis, advancing to the final to face the NextGen Dutch duo of Jinte Bos & Lizzy de Greef, who advanced to their maiden slam doubles final together with a win over #2 seeded Li & Wang Ziying.

The Chinese pair had won four of the last five major doubles titles (+ the year-ending Masters), but are still title-less in Paris (they were RU to Kamiji/Montjane last year).





*WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL*
(Q) Maja Chwalinska/POL vs. #8 Mirra Andreeva/RUS

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #4 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)
Aoyama/Liang (JPN/TPE) vs. #2 Danilina/Krunic (KAZ/SRB)

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) def. Dabrowski/King (CAN/USA) 4-6/6-3 [10-4]

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES SF=
#1 Yui Kamiji/JPN vs. #4 Diede de Groot/NED
Ksenia Chasteau/FRA vs. #2 Li Xiaohui/CHN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Kamiji/Zhu (JPN/CHN) vs. Bos/de Greef (NED/NED)

=GIRLS SINGLES SF=
#12 Alisa Oktiabreva/RUS vs. #4 Jana Kovackova/CZE
#3 Victoria Luiza Barros/BRA vs. #2 Sun Xinran/CHN

=GIRLS DOUBLES SF=
#8 Hazelitt/Newman (USA/USA) vs. #4 Sun Xinran/Zhang Ruien (CHN/CHN)
J.Kovackova/K.Zajickova (CZE/CZE) vs. Cinalli/Lee (ARG/KOR)

=WHEELCHAIR GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Luna Gryp/BEL vs. #2 Seira Matsuoka/JPN

=WHEELCHAIR GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
Gryp/Matsuoka (BEL/JPN) vs. Heald/Lopez Meza (USA/COL)







...MAJA-101 (or, more specifically, CHWALINSKA-101)... ON DAY 12:

I lost count of the many versions of how to pronounce Chwalinska's name that were heard on TNT over the past two days, from it starting with an "h" sound to versions where it's more like an "f," "v" or "w."

Understandable, I guess, as when I searched the "ch" sound in Polish it's described as a "breathy h." Meanwhile, some sources have the "h" sound written phonetically as "hfa." So... from what I've heard, non-Polish individuals tend to be very inconsistent in what version actually comes out in conversation. On the WTA website, the audio of Chwalinska's own stating of her name has a bit of an "f" being dominant (but the more you listen to it, the more I heard a different sound).

This is the most clear version I could find, as it has both an "h" *and* "f" sound at the start. And if you listen to it enough times in a row you almost go into a trance.

At least "Maja" is pretty straightforward.


...I NOTED AT THE TIME HOW EXCITED CHWALINSKA SEEMED TO BE TO BE INCLUDED ON POLAND'S UNITED CUP TEAM LAST YEAR (and it appears that something *did* rub off on her, doesn't it?)... ON DAY 12:




...IT'S (STILL) ALL ABOUT THE PIN... ON DAY 12:




...MEANWHILE... ON DAY 12:

...there was (a little) more TNT talk on the interactions, or lack thereof, of the UKR/RUS-BLR players (though, again, no mention of the those no longer representing Russia, let alone those from *other* nations that Oliynykova has dragged into the discussion), with play-by-play man Alex Faust going over some of the situation during the Andreeva/Kostyuk match, stating how they'd be remiss if they *didn't* say something. Yeah, you'd think so, right?

Of course, he did so to total silence from analyst Lindsay Davenport and courtsider Sloane Stephens, it should be noted... although, it would seem to me to be relevant to hear an opinion there, considering all the wars the current U.S. administration has started, stoked or threatened in the past year, not to mention a certain someone's longtime admiration for Putin.

I *suspect* it might be because, of course, Stephens is still in position to potentially play against the individuals involved, while Davenport may coach against Ukraine as the U.S. BJK Cup team captain. Thing is, it's this vaccuum of anything from anyone else involved with the tour that has allowed the words and actions of players like Oliynykova to largely go questioned or unchallenged by anyone involved or anywhere near the sport.

Meanwhile, on-set, John Isner stepped forward to say that he didn't like the non-handshake part of the situation since the RUS/BLR players don't play a role in the Russian goverment's actions.

Because of the relative few expressions of such thoughts -- and the silence, really -- from those in position to at least make a comment on it and/or the WTA's handling of the whole issue from the start, *any* noting of the reality/absurdity of the situation is appreciative, since the notion of refusing to offer simple respect to an opponent in an athletic competition unless that individual puts their family at risk in order to publicly say what a competitor from another nation wants to hear, oh, I don't know, seems to go against pretty much everything that the WTA attempts to put forth every time it rigs up another of those poorly-executed marketing campaigns (while at the same time, the most offensive actor in the sport in this situation chooses to invoke the name and spirit of no less than Billie Jean King and the tour's founding to somehow label herself as a "hero" and "role model" while calling names, making accusations and, some might say, injecting threatening words into the equation.)

I *wish* someone on set had asked Isner in the moment how he thought things would be playing out if the men's tour, like the women's, was filled with Ukrainian players acting the same way toward the ATP's Russian players (many of whom, it should be noted, have had little problem firing back with an opinion -- especially Medvedev -- if they feel someone/something is working against them).

Seemed like a missed opportunity for some insight.


...AND SO IT BEGINS... ON DAY 12:




























kosova-font

*FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AT RG - Open era*
1971 Evonne Goolagong, AUS
1974 Chris Evert, USA
1976 Sue Barker, GBR
1977 Mima Jausovec, SLO
1978 Virginia Ruzici, ROU
1987 Steffi Graf, GER
1989 Arantxa Sanchez, ESP
1990 Monica Seles, YUG
1997 Iva Majoli, CRO
2003 Justine Henin, BEL
2004 Anastasia Myskina, RUS
2008 Ana Ivanovic, SRB
2010 Francesca Schiavone, ITA
2011 Li Na, CHN
2016 Garbine Muguruza, ESP
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2018 Simona Halep, ROU
2019 Ash Barty, AUS
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL
2021 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
2026 Andreeva or Chwalinska

*TEEN SLAM FINALISTS SINCE 2000*
2000 AO - Martina Hingis, SUI (19)
2001 RG - Kim Clijsters, BEL (18)
2001 WI - Justine Henin, BEL (19)
2001 US - Serena Williams, USA (19)
2003 RG - Kim Clijsters, BEL (19) (19y,364d)
2004 WI - Maria Sharapova, RUS (17) - W
2004 US - Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS (19) - W
2006 US - Maria Sharapova, RUS (19) - W
2007 AO - Maria Sharapova, RUS (19)
2009 US - Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (19)
2019 RG - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (19)
2019 US - Bianca Andreescu, CAN (19) - W
2019 RG - Iga Swiatek, POL (19) - W
2021 US - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (19)
2021 US - Emma Raducanu, GBR (18) - W
2022 RG - Coco Gauff, USA (18) - W
2026 RG - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (19)

*RUSSIANS/SOVIETS IN RG FINALS*
1974 Chris Evert def. OLGA MOROZOVA
1988 Steffi Graf def. NATALIA ZVEREVA
2004 ANASTASIA MYSKINA def. ELENA DEMENTIEVA
2006 Justine Henin-Hardenne def. SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA
2008 Ana Ivanovic def. DINARA SAFINA
2009 SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA def. DINARA SAFINA
2012 MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Sara Errani
2013 Serena Williams def. MARIA SHARAPOVA
2014 MARIA SHARAPOVA def. Simona Halep
2021 Barbora Krejcikova def. ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA
2026 MIRRA ANDREEVA vs. Maja Chwalinska

*UNSEEDED/WC/Q in SLAM FINALS IN 32-SEED DRAW*
[began w/ 2001 Wimbledon]
2007 Australian Open - Serena Williams [W]
2009 U.S. Open - Kim Clijsters[wc] [W]
2010 Australian Open - Justine Henin[wc]
2015 U.S. Open - Roberta Vinci
2017 Roland Garros - Alona Ostapenko [W]
2017 U.S. Open - Sloane Stephens [W]
2019 Roland Garros - Marketa Vondrousova
2020 Australian Open - Garbine Muguruza
2020 U.S. Open - Victoria Azarenka
2020 Roland Garros - Iga Swiatek [W]
2021 Roland Garros - Barbora Krejcikova [W]
2021 U.S. Open - Leylah Fernandez
2021 U.S. Open - Emma Raducanu(q) [W]
2023 Roland Garros - Karolina Muchova
2023 Wimbledon - Marketa Vondrousova [W]
2026 Roland Garros - Maja Chwalinska(q)

*LOW RANKED IN SLAM FINAL (OPEN ERA)*
NR - Evonne Goolagong (1977 AO - W)
NR - Kim Clijsters (2009 US - W)
NR - Justine Henin (2010 AO)
#181 - Serena Williams (2018 WI)
#150 - Emma Raducanu (2021 US - W)
#114 - MAJA CHWALINSKA (2026 RG - ?)
#111 - Chris O'Neil (1978 AO - W)
#83 - Sloane Stephens (2017 US - W)
#81 - Serena Williams (2007 AO - W)
[low-ranked RG champion]
#54 - Iga Swiatek, 2020
#47 - Alona Ostapenko, 2017
#33 - Barbora Krejcikova, 2021
#18 - Sue Barker, 1976
#17 - Virginia Ruzici, 1978
#17 - Francesca Schiavone, 2010

*UNSEEDED RG FINALISTS IN OPEN ERA*
1971 Helen Gourlay, AUS
1976 Renata Tomanova, TCH
1977 Florenta Mihal, ROU
1983 Mima Jausovec, YUG
2017 Alona Ostapenko, LAT =W
2019 Marketa Vondrousova, CZE
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL =W
2021 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE =W
2023 Karolina Muchova, CZE
2026 Maja Chwalinska, POL (q)

*SLAM FINALS BY NATION - 2020s*
==25 slams/50 finalists==
11 - USA (4-7)
9 - BLR (4-5)
7 - POL (6-0)*
5 - CZE (3-2)
3 - KAZ (2-1)
3 - TUN (0-3)
2 - AUS (2-0)
2 - ITA (0-2)
2 - JPN (2-0)
2 - RUS (0-1)*
1 - GBR (1-0)
1 - ESP (0-1)
1 - CAN (0-1)
1 - CHN (0-1)
[at RG]
4 - POL (4-0)*
3 - USA (1-2)
2 - CZE (1-1)
2 - RUS (0-1)*
1 - BLR (0-1)
1 - ITA (0-1)

*MOST WTA FINALS in 2026*
4 - Aryna Sabalenka (3-1)
4 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (2-1)
3 - Marta Kostyuk (2-1)
3 - Elena Rybakina (2-1)
3 - Elina Svitolina (2-1)
3 - Victoria Mboko (0-3)
2 - Jessie Pegula (2-0)
2 - Karolina Muchova (1-1)
2 - Coco Gauff (0-2)

*2026 FIRST-TIME WTA FINALISTS*
Sara Bejlek, CZE (#101/20 = Abu Dhabi)=W
Taylor Townsend, USA (#119/29 = Austin)
Yuliia Starodubtseva, UKR (#89/26 = Charleston)
Panna Udvardy, HUN (#92/27 = Bogota)
Veronika Podrez, UKR (#209/19 = Rouen)
Petra Marcinko, CRO (#76/20 = Rabat)=W
MAJA CHWALINSKA, POL (#114/24=Roland Garros)

*MAIDEN SLAM WINS ALSO FIRST CAREER WTA TITLE*
1979 Australian Open: Barbara Jordan, USA
2017 Roland Garros: Alona Ostapenko, LAT
2020 Roland Garros: Iga Swiatek, POL
2021 U.S. Open: Emma Raducanu, GBR
--
NOTE: Chwalinska title would be first tour-level win

*FEWEST SLAM MD BEFORE FIRST TITLE - Open era*
2 - 2021 US Open: Emma Raducanu, GBR (18)
4 - 1990 Roland Garros: Monica Seles, YUG (16)
4 - 2019 US Open: Bianca Andreescu, CAN (19)
5 - 2021 Roland Garros: Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (25)
6 - 1979 US Open: Tracy Austin, USA (16)
--
NOTE: Chwalinska in 3rd career slam MD
NOTE: Margaret Smith (Court) pre-Open era in 2nd GS (1960 AO, age 17)

*RECENT SLAM MX CHAMPIONS*
[2024]
AO: Hsieh Su-wei/Jan Zielinski (TPE/POL)
RG: Laura Siegemund/Edouard Roger-Vasselin (GER/FRA)
WI: Hsieh Su-wei/Jan Zielinski (TPE/POL)
US: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori (ITA/ITA)
[2025]
AO: Olivia Gadecki/John Peers (AUS/AUS)
RG: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori (ITA/ITA)
WI: Katerina Siniakova/Sem Verbeek (CZE/NED)
US: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori (ITA/ITA)
[2026]
AO: Olivia Gadecki/John Peers (AUS/AUS)
RG: Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori (ITA/ITA)

*SLAM MX TITLES - active*
4...SARA ERRANI, ITA
4...Desirae Krawczyk, USA
4...Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA
3...Barbora Krejcikova, CZE
3...Kristina Mladenovic, FRA
2...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
2...Gaby Dabrowski, CAN
2...Olivia Gadecki, AUS
2...Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
2...Laura Siegemund, GER
2...Serena Williams, USA
2...Venus Williams, USA
2...Vera Zvonareva, RUS

*CAREER OVERALL SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[singles/doubles/mixed]
39 - Serena Williams, USA (23-14-2)
23 - Venus Williams, USA (7-14-2)
12 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-7-3)
11 - Katerina Siniakova, CZE (0-10-1)
10 - SARA ERRANI, ITA (0-6-4)
9 - Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (0-6-3)
9 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA (0-5-4)
9 - Hsieh Su-wei, TPE (0-7-2)





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👏👏👏

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— Ann Telnaes (@anntelnaes.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 3:04 PM


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Today Trump made the statement: "They committed suicide, people that went there with love... there was so much love and friendship" in a message discussing Jan 6th This phrasing mirrors his frequent attempts to recast the day as a "day of love" and to minimize the violence @anntelnaes.bsky.social

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— paulpro (@mariopro.bsky.social) June 3, 2026 at 10:38 PM


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We don’t often get NYT column reprints, but I was very glad to see this from @jamellebouie.net in today’s print StarTribune. Really strong piece warning of the dangers of Dems just trying to go back to “normal” after Trump. It’s among Bouie’s best (which is saying something)

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— Mike Spangenberg (@mikespangenberg.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 10:24 AM

Here’s a gift link to the original in the Times www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/o...

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— Mike Spangenberg (@mikespangenberg.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 10:25 AM











TOP QUALIFIER: Claire Liu/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #15 Marta Kostyuk/UKR (con. Top 10 wins to reach first major SF)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: Oceane Dodin/FRA (PR) def. Kayla Day/USA 6-4/2-6/7-6(15-13) - saved 2 MP in TB, wins on MP #5
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #7 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. Anna Bondar/HUN 3-6/6-1/7-6(10-3) - Bondar, who def. in Madrid, led 3-1 in 3rd set; Rome champ Svitolina avoids first 1st Rd. loss in RG career)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - #28 Anastasia Potapova/AUT def. #4 Coco Gauff/USA 4-6/7-6(1)/6-4 (DC Gauff 2 pts from win in 2nd; up 3-1 in 3rd)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #27 Marie Bouzkova/CZE (def. Bronzetti/ITA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #21 Clara Tauson/DEN (1r - lost to Snigur/UKR)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Susan Bandecchi/SUI (1st MD), Marina Bassols Ribera/ESP (2nd MD), Francesca Jones/GBR (7th MD), Oleksandra Oliynykova/UKR (2nd MD), Kaitlin Quevedo/ESP (1st MD), Antonia Ruzic/CRO (3rd MD)
UPSET QUEENS: Switzerland
REVELATION LADIES: Poland (4-0 1st Rd. in consecutive '26 majors)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: FRA (none of 14 in Q-draw reach MD; wild cards go 0-6 year after WC Boisson to SF; 2-7 1st Rd.; Boisson out 1r)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Maja Chwalinska/POL (in Final)
LUCKY LOSER WINS: --
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: 0-8 in 1st Rd.
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Jil Teichmann/SUI (in 3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Diane Parry (4th Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITÉ : Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Diana Shnaider/RUS
IT "??": Nominees: Andreeva (teen), Chwalinska (Pole/qualifier), J.Kovackova (Jr.Crusher), Chasteau (NextGen WC)
COMEBACK: Hordettes (two Russians in RG SF for first time since 2009; at only second major in 17 years; Andreeva in final)
CRASH & BURN: #5 Jessie Pegula/USA (1r- lost to #83 Birrell, who'd lost 9 con. slam 1r matches and 3-13 career; Pegula led by 6-1/2-1 w/ break; second 1r loss in major since RG20) and #2 Elena Rybakina/KAZ (AO champ out 2r in 3rd set TB to #55 Starodubtseva)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Elina Svitolina/UKR (1r- trailed Bondar 3-1 in 3rd; avoided first 1r RG loss in 13 app.; 3r- lost 1st to Bencic, faced BP early in 2nd, then won 15/17 pts, 11/14 games to end)
DOUBLES STAR: Nominees: Errani (MX defense), WD
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Sorana Cirstea/ROU (second RG QF 17 years after first)
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Aryna Sabalenka (def. Osaka in first women's night session match scheduled since 2023)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
Legion de Lenglen: 100th anniversary of Suzanne Lenglen's last "grand slam" titles (RG WS/WD/MX sweep) in 1926 (she'd retire after controversial Wimbledon withdrawal and join professional tour that summer)
Coupe LA-PETIT-TAUREAU: Maja Chwalinska/POL - 5'5" Pole reaches maiden slam QF in first RG MD on June 1 (Henin's birthday)









All for Day 12. More tomorrow.
Posted by at

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

RG.11- Gone With the Wind

Today's quarterfinal was supposed to be a "stepping stone" for Aryna Sabalenka, a stop on her way to returning to the final in Paris and attempting to belatedly claim the Roland Garros title she'd left dangling there a year ago.

But a day that started out being about getting another chance soon turned into one about the weather (specifically, the one *true* tennis variable: the wind), then it soon became about Sabalenka herself. In the end, it was #25-seeded Diana Shnaider -- seen as just a "supporting character" in the drama just a few hours earlier -- who unexpectedly adds another chapter to her RG26 story.



As it turned out, while Sabalenka had gone about her business through the first four rounds of this major, and the draw has cooperated to remove many of the players who have served in the "nemesis" role when she's fallen short of claiming slam titles as her own over the years, the trickiest two opponents were lurking in the shadows all along. The aforementioned wind, the traditional bane of the gameday existence of a first-strike power hitter like the world #1, but also Sabalenka herself.

After fighting for years to control her emotions in tight situations, Sabalenka had prevailed to go on to become a multi-major title winner, and is currently closing in fast on a 90-week streak in possession of the top ranking. But even while she's won big, and won often, the whispers of all the major titles she'd managed to let slip through her fingers have lingered and remained. Last year, she lost in two tight (AO/RG) finals before finally "saving" her season with a win in New York. This year, she'd already dropped an AO final in which she wasn't far from claiming the crown, a year after squandering a lead in Melbourne in the title match as she'd tried to three-peat as champion.

This RG was supposed to be different. It was... this time she didn't even reach the final.

The cold, windy conditions on Wednesday on Court Chatrier, with the decision to not close the roof (well, not during *this* match, at least), immediately put Sabalenka on notice. From the start, she struggled to keep her unforced error totals in check, but found a way to keep a step ahead of the reaper, taking a 4-1 lead after saving a pair of BP in game 5, holding serve with a drop shot/forehand combination.

Sabalenka then broke Shnaider to lead 5-1 with a drop shot and backhand pass, having claimed eight of nine points. Serving for the set in game 7, while often having to wait for gusts of wind to settle before attempting her toss, Sabalenka battled out of love/30 hole. She held two SP, DF'ing on the first and then missing on an overhead to fall BP down, before two final forehand errors in succession handed the break to her Hordette opponent.

Getting another chance to finish off the 1st set two games later, Sabalenka again had to erase an early deficit (15/30) and save a BP before finally putting away a 6-3 win on her third SP (with a Shnaider error). The set was a stuggle, but Sabalenka had prevailed.

Having seemingly survived the worst of things, even while still battling the conditions, Sabalenka drove toward the finish. She broke Shnaider at love to go up a double-break in the 2nd set at 4-1, then led 30/love on serve in game 5. But an ill-timed double-fault turned the game, though not the entire day. Not yet.

Shnaider claimed four straight points to cut Sabalenka's break lead in half, then saved a BP a game later, holding for 4-3. But, still, after falling behind love/40 down in game 8, Sabalenka settled herself and followed the routine that has saved her so often in the past, pulling out some big serves (saving, ultimately, four BP) and holding to lead 5-3. Two games later, she served for the win.

While her play was far from crisp, and decidedly choppy, Sabalenka still seemed well-equipped to pull through, and would soon be laughing in her post-match interview as she thanked the Tennis Gods for sparing her on this day, all while hoping that the "wake-up call" would either prove beneficial to her title run, or (most likely) be quickly forgotten. But that didn't happen.

Instead, up 30/15, Sabalenka got too close to the net and reacted awkwardly to a Shnaider shot, pushing a forehand volley out rather than into an open court that would have given her double MP. A forehand error followed, and the world #1 was suddenly BP down again. Shnaider's lefty forehand winner into the corner did the honors this time, breaking Sabalenka to knot the score at 5-5 and getting the young Russian back into the match.

But, little did we know at the time that the match was *already* over. For Sabalenka wouldn't win another game.

After a Shnaider hold to lead 6-5, Sabalenka looked to force a TB (which would seem to have been to her benefit), and led 30/15. But a Shnaider lob winner erased the Belarusian's edge (in more than ways than one), and two points later the set was hers as she avoided a breaker and tied the match at one set each with a 7-5 win.

What happpened over the course of the 3rd set, though, made what happened in the 2nd seem routine.



The start of Sabalenka's total collapse down the stretch today can *officially* (though maybe it happened earlier, when she let the 2nd set slip away) be traced back to her dropping serve in game 2 of the decider after having led 40/15. She held four GP in the game before being broken on Shnaider's fourth BP chance.

From there, Sabalenka, as we've come to know her, was no more on this day. She won just one point in the next two games, falling behind 4-0 and seemingly having no answers are how to turn the tide back in her favor, and no real energy to try to discover any. Meanwhile, while Sabalenka's groundstrokes lost their sting, Shnaider picked up the pace on her own and quickly began to out-hit the most ferocious ball-striker in women's tennis (well, maybe until next week, I suppose) *on the ground*. Surreal.

The Hordette held for 5-0, and then Sabalenka stepped to the service line... to try and avoid a love set. She didn't have any fight left in her, quickly falling behind love/40 and, after a brief stall, went down and out on Shnaider's third MP, losing 3-6/7-5/6-0. Sabalenka lost her last *five* service games, and the last *ten* games of the match.



First-time major semifinalist Shnaider joins doubles partner Mirra Andreeva in the final four, making this the first time two Hordettes have reached the RG SF since 2009.

The last time occurred during the heart of the Russian Tennis Revolution, a period of time when the horde of contenders from the nation morphed into "The Hordettes" in this space. At the time, *at least* two reached this stage in majors on six different occasions in the short window from the '07 U.S. to the '09 Wimbledon, including at the *first three* majors of the '09 season (extending their streak of pulling off the feat to four straight slams going back to '08). Before now, as the Original Hordettes (save for Vera Zvonareva) have all disappeared from the tour, AO15 was the other only slam to feature multiple Russian women in the semis since the '09 season.



So, I guess, as of now, bandannas are cool. Somewhere Bret Michaels, Willie Nelson, Stevie Van Zandt and Keith Richards smile... or, you know, nod or something. Maybe.

Meanwhle, the loss for Sabalenka comes after she'd won 13 of her previous 14 slam QF matches (not counting an additional walkover win), and ends her streak of six straight SF+ results at majors.

Now we'll have to see just how resilient Sabalenka really is.

At the moment, after what can only be termed as an "embarrassing" collapse, she's clearly looking up a very tall mental mountain to climb in the short period of time between now and start of Wimbledon.








=DAY 11 NOTES=
...the opening women's QF of the day, unlike the first, *started* with a theme centered around not one, but two players seeking to post their greatest career result.

Both #22 seed Anna Kalinskaya and qualifier Maja Chwalinska arrived with backstories that focused on the fact that numerous injuries (and, in Chwalinska's case, a battle with depression) had always prevented both from ever reaching their true potential. Finally, as one of the era's most unpredictable slam singles competitions (across the board, when you include the men's tournament) winds in twisting fashion towards its conclusion, these two suddenly found themselves in the unexpected position of playing for a berth in a major semifinal.

Kalinskaya had come into this RG with just one MD win in her tournament history; while Chwalinska arrived in Paris having never reached a tour-level SF, nor defeated a Top 50 opponent and, even with this result, her pre-event #114 ranking was low enough that she's *still* slated to need to play in *another* slam qualifying tournament if she wants to participate in her first Wimbledon MD since 2022 (she won a 1st Rd. match then in her slam debut). Well, unless the AELTC gives her a wild card (haha, yeah, okay... we know who/whom the discretionary free passes are being saved for). NOTE: Lois Boisson did NOT get one last year.

After how this RG has gone, though, Chwalinska might not care much about SW19. Even before today, her RG MD debut had already seen her lose just one set through her first seven Q/MD matches, as she'd defeated the '24 Paris Olympic Gold medalist, the #23 seed, a past RG semifinalist and the last French player in the draw, while she'd recorded her first *two* career Top 50 victories, in back-to-back matches.

One wouldn't think that things could get better for the 23-year old Pole. But one would be wrong.



Kalinskaya got a break of serve in a long opening game, but it was the Pole who broke out ahead in the 1st set immediately afterward. Possessing the forehand with the lowest average speed in the entire women's draw, Chwalinska's ability to mix up her great shot variety, both slowing down and speeding things up at will, served her well over this run. Facing players who only rarely experience her game style (and are always frustrated when they do), the combination has proved to be quite advantageous. It was against her Hordette opponent, as well.

Chwalinska erased Kalinskaya's break lead immediately, and went on to break *her* in her first three service games, saving two BP on her own in game 5, as she built up a 5-1, double-break scoreboard lead. She held a SP on serve in game 7, and another in game 9, but Kalinskaya was able to open up her game when her back was against the wall, clawing her way back in, ultimately forcing a TB.

There, Chwalinska won a key 27-shot rally to take a 5-3 lead, and held a third SP a point later. Kalinskaya's long backhand gave the qualifier the opening set.

Kalinskaya was slow to recover from her inability to complete her 1st set comeback, helping clear a path for Chwalinska to again break out in front. Once more she took a double-break lead at 4-1, but again the deficit relieved Kalinskaya of any pressure and served to improve her game. She broke Chwalinska to give herself life again at 4-2, only to give it right back a game later.

The Pole served for the match at 5-2, but couldn't put things away. No matter, she carved out a MP on return a game later when Kalinskaya netted a forehand aimed behind Chwalinska. A final errant shot (Kalinskaya's 47th UE on the day) ended the 7-6(3)/6-3 match, sending Chwalinska to her maiden slam (and tour-level) SF in her first MD appearance at Roland Garros. She's the sixth qualifier to play so far into a major in the Open era, and the first to do it in Paris.



Chwalinska's game on the day wasn't just about forcing errors, either. She managed 24 winners in the match's 22 games while collecting her third straight Top 50 win. She'll now see her own "live" ranking climb into the Top 30, with room for still more improvement, as she's won more prize money at this RG than she had in her entire career as of the end of her qualifying run.

Only one qualifier has ever posted a better result in a major -- Emma Raducanu when she claimed the U.S. Open crown (also in her tournament debut) in 2021.

If #114-ranked Chwalinska were to follow suit with just one more win, she'd be the sixth-lowest ranked slam finalist in the Open era, behind only three unranked players (Goolagong AO77, Clijsters US09 and Henin AO10), Serena Williams (#181/'18 WI) and Raducanu (#150), as well as being *the* lowest-ranked woman to reach the final at RG.

...the mixed doubles final has been set, and top-seeded Sara Errani & Andrea Vavassori will try to successfully defend a MX major title at a *second* tournament. The Italian pair advanced to their second straight RG final with a SF win over Laura Siegemund & Eduoard Roger-Vasselin (the '24 RG winners). They've already claimed three of the last six mixed slam crowns.

Errani will be looking for her tenth career major, a fourth MX to go along with her six in women's doubles.

The duo will face Gaby Dabrowski & Evan King, who defeated Asia Muhammad and Nikola Mektic. Dabrowski has claimed two MX wins in her career, at RG in 2017 (w/ Rohan Bopanna) and AO18 (w/ Mate Pavic). The Canadian has also won a pair of women's doubles majors.

Looking to get the MX off the slate as quickly as possible (does RG really care to provide a spotlight for any competition other than the men's singles?), the mixed final will be decided *at the start of the day* on a THURSDAY. I'm sure the crowd will be rockin'.

...meanwhile, the women's doubles semis are set and, in an answer to what's happened in singles, three of the top four seeded duos are still alive.

Joining #1 Siniakova/Townsend and #4 Dabrowski/Stefani are #2 Danilinia/Krunic, as well as the unseeded Aoyama/Liang.

Today's win from Danilina/Krunic over #7 Perez/Schuurs is a return to the early season form that took the pair into first place in the Doubles Points Race heading into the clay season after reaching the AO final, as well as at both 1000 Doha (W) and Indian Wells (L). Yet the two didn't team up in the two biggest clay events heading into RG.

It resulted in lesser results for both. Danilina went out in the Madrid 1st Round and Rome QF with Asia Muhammad, while Krunic reached the Madrid SF and Rome 2nd Round with two different partners. Apparently, it's possible that Krunic may have wanted to play some singles in ITF events, leading to Danilina making other doubles arrangements, then the Serb changed her mind and had to make due. She ultimately hasn't played *any* singles since Doha, and hasn't won a solo match since last July (going 0-7).

They're still #2 in the Race, just behind Siniakova/Townsend, but would be a very strong #1 if they'd played Madrid/Rome.







*WOMEN'S SINGLES SF*
#25 Diana Shnaider/RUS vs. (Q) Maja Chwalinska/POL
#15 Marta Kostyuk/UKR vs. #8 Mirra Andreeva/RUS

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES SF=
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. #4 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA)
Aoyama/Liang (JPN/TPE) vs. #2 Danilina/Krunic (KAZ/SRB)

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) vs. Dabrowski/King (CAN/USA)

=WHEELCHAIR SINGLES QF=
#1 Yui Kamiji/JPN vs. (WC) Pauline Deroulede/FRA
#4 Diede de Groot/NED vs. Guo Luoyao/CHN
Kgothatso Montjane/RSA vs. Ksenia Chasteau/FRA
Wang Ziying/CHN vs. #2 Li Xiaohui/CHN

=WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES SF=
#1 Kamiji/Zhu (JPN/CHN) vs. de Groot/Van Koot (NED/NED)
Bos/de Greef (NED/NED) vs. #2 Li/Wang (CHN/CHN)

=GIRLS SINGLES QF=
(Q) Ekaterina Dotsenko/RUS vs. #12 Alisa Oktiabreva/RUS
#4 Jana Kovackova/CZE vs. #9 Charo Esquiva Banuls/ESP
Lee Ha-eum/KOR vs. #3 Victoria Luiza Barros/BRA
#6 Anastasija Cvetkova/SRB vs. #2 Sun Xinran/CHN

=GIRLS DOUBLES QF=
#1 Barros/Pinera Celorio (BRA/ESP) vs. #8 Hazelitt/Newman (USA/USA)
#4 Sun Xinran/Zhang Ruien (CHN/CHN) vs. #5 Dorofeeva-Rybas/Pushkareva (RUS/RUS)
J.Kovackova/K.Zajickova (CZE/CZE) vs. #3 Cvetkovic/Fordin (SRB/USA)
Cinalli/Lee (ARG/KOR) vs. Nilsson/Smart (SWE/GBR)







...A PARISIAN TRADITION CONTINUES... ON DAY 11:




...THOSE THAT PLAY TOGETHER, ALSO SLAY TOGETHER (and apart)... ON DAY 11:




...THE SIMPLE THINGS... ON DAY 11:




...BIG SASCHA BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT... ON DAY 11:




...IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PIN... ON DAY 11:




...YEAH, THEY TREAT THE MEN AND WOMEN *EXACTLY* THE SAME AT THIS TOURNAMENT (you got your night match so shut up until 2029!)... ON DAY 11:




...DAY 10 POSTSCRIPT... ON DAY 11:




Honestly, I really don't have a huge problem with this approach. In a perfect world, someone might try to reach "across the aisle" to get a little more insight into the personal reasons why some can't or won't say more. But, after four years, it's clear that that's not going to happen.

Why try to build a bridge when it's easier to just demand others blow up *all* their bridges in your name, right?

The notion that players like Marta's next opponent are *required* to back up the Ukrainians and speak out against their authoritative government's actions without giving a thought to what it might mean to them and theirs -- and if they *do* give a thought then they're deemed to be uncaring, selfish individuals not worthy of respect -- is beyond absurd. Andreeva was 14 when the invasion occurred.

Not to sound crass, but who *really* cares what any of the players think about it? They're professional athletes, not politicians with the power to decide. If they want to say something, fine. If not, also fine. After much trial and error, Kostyuk has seemed to come to that conclusion, but still can't withhold judgement.

But that's her, take her or leave her... or *try* to compartmentalize it all (Backspinner raises hand) so the greatness of the tennis accomplishments don't get lost.

I do take issue with the "your country is killing people" line, though, as if war is a one-sided endeavor. No matter who started it, both sides are killing people (with innocents becoming victims). Unfortunately, that's just the reality... and one not applied to the players of *other* nations involved in wars but -- as *should* be the case -- who avoid being called to account for their government's actions since they have no say in the matter.

If the net were expanded, there would certainly be a *lot* of players caught in it through no fault of their own, which shows the ridiculousness of this line of thinking.

I bet if the many players from a few other nations (especially one close to home) were being publicly hounded by fellow players, or whose "silence" was the subject of constant questions to others, that *all* discussions and questions on the topic would quickly be banned from all tournament press conferences. No details necessary... but you know it's true.


























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*FIRST-TIME SLAM SEMIFINALISTS AT RG SINCE 2020*
2020 Nadia Podoroska, ARG
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL (W)
2021 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (W)
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (RU)
2021 Maria Sakkari, GRE
2021 Tamara Zidansek, SLO
2022 Coco Gauff, USA (RU)
2022 Dasha Kasatkina, RUS
2022 Martina Trevisan, ITA
2023 Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA
2024 Mirra Andreeva, RUS
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA (RU)
2025 Lois Boisson, FRA
2026 Maja Chwalinska, POL
2026 Marta Kostyuk, UKR
2026 Diana Shnaider, RUS

*SOVIET/RUSSIAN RG SEMIFINALISTS IN OPEN ERA*
1968-1973 -
1974 Olga Morozova (USSR)(RU)
1975 Olga Morozova (USSR)
1976-87 -
1988 Natasha Zvereva (USSR)(RU)
1989-2002 -
2003 Nadia Petrova
2004 Elena Dementieva (RU), Anastasia Myskina (W)
2005 Elena Likhovtseva, Nadia Petrova
2006 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RU)
2007 Maria Sharapova
2008 Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina (RU)
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova (W), Dinara Safina (RU)
2010 Elena Dementieva
2011 Maria Sharapova
2012 Maria Sharapova (W)
2013 Maria Sharapova (RU)
2014 Maria Sharapova (W)
2015 -
2016 -
2017 -
2018 -
2019 -
2020 -
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RU)
2022 Dasha Kasatkina
2023 -
2024 Mirra Andreeva
2025 -
2026 Mirra Andreeva, Diana Shnaider

*RUSSIANS IN SLAM SF - post-USSR*
20..Maria Sharapova (10-10)
8...Elena Dementieva (2-6)
5...Svetlana Kuznetsova (4-1)
5...Dinara Safina (3-2)
4...Vera Zvonareva (2-2)
2...MIRRA ANDREEVA (0-1)
2...Ekaterina Makarova (0-2)
1...W: Myskina,Pavlyuchenkova
1...?: SHNAIDER
1...L: Chakvetadze,Kasatkina*,Kournikova,Likhovsteva,Petrova,Vesnina
[Soviet era; ended in 1991]
3...Olga Morozova (2-1)
1...Natasha Chmyreva (0-1)
1...Natalia Zvereva (1-0); also has SF loss as BLR in '98

*QUALIFIERS IN SLAM SF - Open Era*
1978 Australian - Christine Dorey Matison
1999 Wimbledon - Alexandra Stevenson
2020 Roland Garros - Nadia Podoroska
2021 US Open - Emma Raducanu (W)
2024 Australian - Dayana Yastremska
2026 Roland Garros - MAJA CHWALINSKA

*MOST WTA SF in 2026*
6 - Elina Svitolina (3-3)
5 - MIRRA ANDREEVA (3-1)
4 - Aryna Sabalenka (4-0)
4 - MARTA KOSTYUK (3-0)
4 - Elena Rybakina (3-1)
4 - Karolina Muchova (2-2)
4 - Jessie Pegula (2-2)
3 - Victoria Mboko (3-0)
3 - Coco Gauff (2-1)
3 - Sorana Cirstea (1-1+L)
3 - Iva Jovic (1-2)
2 - Anastasia Potapova (2-0)
2 - Panna Udvardy (1-1)
2 - DIANA SHNAIDER (0-1)
2 - Hailey Baptiste (0-2)
2 - Kimberly Birrell (0-2)
[nations]
20- USA (8-12)
15- UKR (9-5)*
8 - RUS (4-2)**
7 - CZE (4-3)
5 - ROU (1-4)
4 - BLR (4-0)
4 - KAZ (3-1)
3 - AUS (0-3)
3 - CAN (3-0)
3 - CRO (1-2)
3 - POL (1-1)*
2 - AUT (1-1)
2 - CHN (1-1)
2 - GBR (2-0)
2 - GER (1-1)
2 - HUN (1-1)
2 - ITA (1-1)
1-0 = ESP
0-1 = ARG,COL,DEN,FRA,GRE,LAT,PHI,SUI

*RECENT RG "MADEMOISELLE/MADAM OPPORTUNITY" WINNERS*
2019 Ash Barty, AUS & Diede de Groot, NED (WC)
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL
2021 Krejcikova/CZE, Pavlyuchenkova/RUS, Sakkari/GRE & Zidansek/SLO
2022 Dasha Kasatkina/RUS and Martina Trevisan/ITA
2023 Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA and Karolina Muchova/CZE
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA
2025 Yui Kamiji, JPN (WC)
2026 Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Diana Shnaider/RUS

*RECENT RG "COMEBACK PLAYER" WINNERS*
2017 Petra Kvitova, CZE
2018 Maria Sharapova, RUS
2019 Johanna Konta, GBR
2020 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, SVK & Alona Ostapenko/LAT
2021 Sloane Stephens, USA
2022 Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, FRA/FRA
2023 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2024 Naomi Osaka, JPN
2025 Coco Gauff's missing rackets (1st Rd.)
2026 Hordettes (2 RUS in RG SF, first time since '09)

*MOST SLAM QF IN 2020s*
16 - ARYNA SABALENKA (13-2+W)
14 - Iga Swiatek (9-5)
10 - Coco Gauff (5-5)
9 - Jessie Pegula (3-6)
9 - ELINA SVITOLINA (2-7)
7 - Elena Rybakina (4-3)
7 - Ons Jabeur (3-4)
[nations]*
42 - USA (21-21)
24 - CZE (9-14+L)
18 - BLR (15-2+W)*
16 - POL (11-5)*
15 - RUS (5-10)***
12 - UKR (4-8)**
8 - KAZ (4-4)
7 - AUS (3-4)
7 - TUN (3-4)
5 - GER (2-3)
5 - ROU (2-3)*

*CAREER SLAM SF - active singles*
23 - Venus Williams, USA (16-7)
14 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (8-6)
9 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (6-3)
9 - Iga Swiatek, POL (6-3)
7 - Madison Keys, USA (2-5)
5 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (4-1)
5 - Coco Gauff, USA (3-2)
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (3-1)
4 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (2-2)
4 - Vera Zvonareva, RUS (2-2)
4 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-3)
4 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-4)

[SLAM SF 2020-26]
14 - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (8-6)
9 - Iga Swiatek, POL (6-3)
5 - Coco Gauff, USA (3-2)
4 - Elena Rybakina, KAZ (3-1)
4 - Karolina Muchova, CZE (1-3)
3 - Ash Barty, AUS (2-1)
3 - Ons Jabeur, TUN (3-0)
3 - Madison Keys, USA (1-2)
3 - Naomi Osaka, JPN (2-1)
3 - Jessie Pegula, USA (1-2)
2 - Mirra Andreeva, RUS (0-1)*
2 - Amanda Anisimova, USA (2-0)
2 - Victoria Azarenka, BLR (1-1)
2 - Jennifer Brady, USA (1-1)
2 - Simona Halep, ROU (0-2)
2 - Sofia Kenin, USA (2-0)
2 - Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (2-0)
2 - Jasmine Paolini, ITA (2-0)
2 - Maria Sakkari, GRE (0-2)
2 - Elina Svitolina, UKR (0-2)
2 - Serena Williams, USA (0-2)
1 - Paula Badosa, ESP (0-1)
1 - Danielle Collins, USA (1-0)
1 - Leylah Fernandez, CAN (1-0)
1 - Caroline Garcia, FRA (0-1)
1 - Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (0-1)
1 - Dasha Kasatkina, RUS (0-1)
1 - Angelique Kerber, GER (0-1)
1 - Maja Chwalinska, POL (0-0)*
1 - Marta Kostyuk, UKR (0-0)*
1 - Diana Shnaider, RUS (0-0)*
1 - Petra Kvitova, CZE (0-1)
1 - Magda Linette, POL (0-1)
1 - Tatjana Maria, GER (0-1)
1 - Garbina Muguruza, ESP (1-0)
1 - Emma Navarro, USA (0-1)
1 - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (1-0)
1 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Nadia Podoroska, ARG (0-1)
1 - Emma Raducanu, GBR (1-0)
1 - Belinda Bencic, SUI (0-1)
1 - Lois Boisson, FRA (0-1)
1 - Martina Trevisan, ITA (0-1)
1 - Donna Vekic, CRO (0-1)
1 - Marketa Vondrousova, CZE (1-0)
1 - Dayana Yastremska, UKR (0-1)
1 - Zheng Qinwen, CHN (1-0)
1 - Tamara Zidansek, SLO (0-1)
--
*-to play SF

[2026 SLAM SF BY NATION]
2 - RUS (0-0) - Andreeva,Shnaider
2 - UKR (0-1) - Kostyuk
1 - BLR (1-0)
1 - KAZ (1-0)
1 - POL (0-0) - Chwalinska
1 - USA (0-1)

[SLAM SF BY NATION 2020-26 / 25 events]
21 - USA (11-10)
16 - BLR (9-7)
11 - POL (6-4)*
9 - CZE (5-4)
5 - RUS (1-2)**
4 - KAZ (3-1)
4 - UKR (0-3)*
3 - AUS (2-1)
3 - JPN (2-1)
3 - TUN (3-0)
2 - ESP (1-1)
2 - FRA (0-2)
2 - GER (0-2)
2 - GRE (0-2)
2 - ITA (2-0)
2 - ROU (0-2)
1 (W) - CAN,CHN,GBR
1 (L) - ARG,BRA,CRO,SLO,SUI,ITA

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career RG SF]
2 - Andreeva
1 - Chwalinska
1 - Kostyuk
1 - Shnaider

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - consecutive RG SF]
none

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - consecutive Slam SF]
none

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career RG W/L]
16-3...Andreeva
9-6...Kostyuk
7-3...Shnaider
5-0...Chwalinska

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - career Slam W/L]
36-12...Andreeva
35-24...Kostyuk
18-11...Shnaider
6-2...Chwalinska

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - 2026 Slam W/L]
8-1...Andreeva
7-1...Shnaider
5-0...Chwalinska
5-1...Kostyuk

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - 2026 season W/L]
34-9...Andreeva
28-9...Chwalinska
23-4...Kostyuk
18-11...Shnaider

[2026 RG SEMIFINALISTS - 2026 clay court W/L]
20-3...Andreeva
18-5...Chwalinska
17-0...Kostyuk
10-4...Shnaider











TOP QUALIFIER: Claire Liu/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): #15 Marta Kostyuk/UKR (con. Top 10 wins to reach first major SF)
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): x
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q1: Oceane Dodin/FRA (PR) def. Kayla Day/USA 6-4/2-6/7-6(15-13) - saved 2 MP in TB, wins on MP #5
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #7 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. Anna Bondar/HUN 3-6/6-1/7-6(10-3) - Bondar, who def. in Madrid, led 3-1 in 3rd set; Rome champ Svitolina avoids first 1st Rd. loss in RG career)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): 3rd Rd. - #28 Anastasia Potapova/AUT def. #4 Coco Gauff/USA 4-6/7-6(1)/6-4 (DC Gauff 2 pts from win in 2nd; up 3-1 in 3rd)
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): x
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #27 Marie Bouzkova/CZE (def. Bronzetti/ITA)
FIRST SEED OUT: #21 Clara Tauson/DEN (1r - lost to Snigur/UKR)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Susan Bandecchi/SUI (1st MD), Marina Bassols Ribera/ESP (2nd MD), Francesca Jones/GBR (7th MD), Oleksandra Oliynykova/UKR (2nd MD), Kaitlin Quevedo/ESP (1st MD), Antonia Ruzic/CRO (3rd MD)
UPSET QUEENS: Switzerland
REVELATION LADIES: Poland (4-0 1st Rd. in consecutive '26 majors)
NATION OF POOR SOULS: FRA (none of 14 in Q-draw reach MD; wild cards go 0-6 year after WC Boisson to SF; 2-7 1st Rd.; Boisson out 1r)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Maja Chwalinska/POL (in SF)
LUCKY LOSER WINS: --
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: 0-8 in 1st Rd.
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: Jil Teichmann/SUI (in 3r)
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Diane Parry (4th Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITÉ : Marta Kostyuk/UKR and Diana Shnaider/RUS
IT "??": Nominees: Andreeva (teen), Chwalinska (Pole/qualifier), Jr.
COMEBACK: Hordettes (two Russians in RG SF for first time since 2009; at only second major in 17 years)
CRASH & BURN: #5 Jessie Pegula/USA (1r- lost to #83 Birrell, who'd lost 9 con. slam 1r matches and 3-13 career; Pegula led by 6-1/2-1 w/ break; second 1r loss in major since RG20) and #2 Elena Rybakina/KAZ (AO champ out 2r in 3rd set TB to #55 Starodubtseva)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: Elina Svitolina/UKR (1r- trailed Bondar 3-1 in 3rd; avoided first 1r RG loss in 13 app.; 3r- lost 1st to Bencic, faced BP early in 2nd, then won 15/17 pts, 11/14 games to end)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Sorana Cirstea/ROU (second RG QF 17 years after first)
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: Aryna Sabalenka (def. Osaka in first women's night session match scheduled since 2023)
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
Legion de Lenglen: 100th anniversary of Suzanne Lenglen's last "grand slam" titles (RG WS/WD/MX sweep) in 1926 (she'd retire after controversial Wimbledon withdrawal and join professional tour that summer)
Coupe LA-PETIT-TAUREAU: Maja Chwalinska/POL - 5'5" Pole reaches maiden slam QF in first RG MD on June 1 (Henin's birthday)








All for Day 11. More tomorrow.
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