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Monday, June 1, 2026

RG.9- One Night in Paris

When given the opportunity, make the most of it.




After no women's match had been given the nod to shine under the lights on Chatrier since the 2023 Roland Garros -- 33 consecutive night sessions had passed since Aryna Sabalenka faced off with Sloane Stephens on Night 8 three years ago, a match that stood as only the second women's match placed on the evening docket since full fan attendence was allowed for the first time in 2022 -- #1 seed Sabalenka was back to face off on Night 9 with #16 Naomi Osaka in a 4th Round match featuring women who between them have lifted eight major titles (all on hard court, BTW) in their career.

This tournament has served as something of a consternation for both over the years, as this year's RG experience is the first that has lasted into the second week for Osaka, playing in Paris for the ninth time; while Sabalenka likely can still taste her loss in last year's singles final, a frustrating endeavor for her that doubled as a less-than-a-masterpiece of a match (for both Sabalenka and eventual champ Coco Gauff) in which the Belarusian surely *could* have finally claimed her first major somewhere other than in Melbourne or New York, but did not.

Meeting for the second time on the dirt this spring, after Sabalenka's three-set win in the Round of 16 in Madrid last month, this encounter turned out to prove that, yes, Osaka's efforts to improve her results on clay continue to progress. But while it was clear that it might have meant an even better result at this RG had she been positioned elsewhere in the draw, it also showed that Osaka still wasn't good enough to stop the run of a Sabalenka armed and in charge with her mega-service game skills hitting on all cylinders.

Of course, who would be?

Osaka grabbed an early break lead at 2-0 in the 1st set, but it served as no more than a speed bump for Sabalenka. She quickly broke back and controlled the flow of action behind her serve for the rest of the set. Osaka gamely bashed the ball, while also mixing in more clay-friendly aspects, regularly holding to keep her paper-thin on-serve lead on the scoreboard.

But Sabalenka continued to chug along on her tail, firing an ace for a love hold for 3-3. Soon, they were tied at 5-5. Finally, Sabalenka saw her next BP chance in game 11. At 15/40, her deep shot forced an Osaka error and gave her a 6-5 lead.

Serving for the set, Sabalenka produced another love hold, sealing the deal with another ace to win 7-5. After dropping serve in game 2, Sabalenka lost just four more points on serve in the 1st, claiming 20 of the last 23 points when she stepped up to the service line.

In the 2nd, Osaka contined to hang with Sabalenka in the early going, but her leash remained short. She missed on an overhead on GP at 2-2, but breathed a sigh of relief when she got the hold anyway to stay a half-step ahead. She'd challenge Sabalenka in game 6, but the Belarusian held for 3-3 in the double-deuce game.



The game proved to be a "close call" that Sabalenka immediately prevented from potentially foreshadowing some sort of change in fortune for Osaka.

Sabalenka struck in game 7, going up 15/40 and then gaining control of a BP rally with a big return. She ended it with a volley winner to take a 4-3 break lead. Sabalenka held at 15 a game later, closing the effort with her 12th ace to go up 5-3. She wouldn't have to serve things out, though, as an Osaka DF gave her double-MP at 15/40 in the next game. A huge Sabalenka return proved to be uncontrollable by Osaka, and when she couldn't get the ball back Sabalenka had won 7-5/6-3, extending her string of major QF appearances to fourteen (w/ the 16th of her slam career).



After not reaching the QF in any of the first fourteen slam MD she played, since she finally reached her first at Wimbledon (ultimately a SF) in 2021 Sabalenka has now gotten that far in sixteen of her next eighteen. After falling before the 4th Round in her first five RG attempts, Sabalenka has now reached the QF or better in four straight.

Clearly, winning quickly becomes a habit for Sabalenka. Although she *does* still have some unfinished business to take care of in Paris before she leaves.






=DAY 9 NOTES=
...Sabalenka will next face off in a match-up vs. with #25 Diana Shnaider (aka another Oliynykova allegation opportunity).

The Hordette's work with coach Sascha Bajin since last August seems to be paying off, as today she took down the last Bannerette in the draw, #19 Madison Keys, in three sets to reach her maiden major QF.

Keys had a difficult time finding her form in the day's slow conditions, dropping her serve in her first three attempts in the match (making the 1st set a lost cause), before seeming to find her way in the 2nd. She served out a 6-3 win to force a 3rd, but then barely registered on the scoreboard in a love 3rd set loss.



In the 3rd, Keys won just 42% of her first serve points (and only 25% of her second), and notched just 11 total points off Shnaider's serve in the concluding set, during which Keys had 19 UE to Shnaider's zero, not shockingly winning just 11 of 37 overall points.

...since we haven't really gotten much chance to have a spotlight focused on qualifier Maja Chwalinska through the first week of this RG, today was an opportunity to marvel at the ability of Polish names to often not be pronounced anywhere near how that *look* like they *would* be. Probably why in my notes I always abbreviate her name as "Maja" or "MajaC."

As for "MY-yah hfah-LEEN-skah," it goes...



The diminutive (just 5-and-a-half feet) Pole with the clever skills has made her maiden RG main draw appearance one for the books, today following up her qualifying run with her first career major QF via a 6-3/6-2 win over the last French player standing in either singles draw, Diane Parry.

Playing with a wrap on her thigh, on the day's slow version of the terre battue, Parry could never really find a way around Chwalinska's tennis craft, as her bigger-hitting game was wasted on what was her most important career moment since the Pole was able to control the action by making the French woman consistently hit more shots than she'd prefer -- while also seemingly not physcially able to react as quickly to her opponent's tactical changes of pace and placement as she may have were she 100% -- and tactically moving her around the court at will.

Parry's lone chance to make a real push came when she led 2-1 in the 2nd and had a BP on Chwalinska's serve (the *only* one she had all day) that gave her a chance to open up some space on the scoreboard and finally put some pressure on the Pole. But Chwalinska held, and Parry didn't win another game. In fact, she won just two *points* in the final four games, with the qualifier twice holding at love.

(And, yes, Parry's loss keeps the Pastries' collective win total at four for this RG, one fewer than Lois Boisson had during her SF run last year, meaning my "Prop Picks" went 7-1 for this major. I'll be sponsoring Tennis Channel's commentary desk next week, I guess.)



Before this RG, Chwalinska's past two major MD appearances had been at the '22 Wimbledon (2r) and last year's AO (1r).

In and around those two appearances, the #114-ranked 24-year old, a former junior star along with Iga Swiatek (they reached the 2017 RG girls' doubles final as a pair), experienced a bout with depression that she's talked about in the past (causing her to take a break from the sport in 2021), as well as having knee issues.

"Nobody knows me, to be honest," Chwalinska said about her unexpected presence so deep into a slam draw.

But the Pole *has* been climbing the ladder of late. Last year, after seeming to be the player having the most fun hanging around her Team Poland teammates (including Iga) at the United Cup, Chwalinska carried over her good feelings to AO qualifying in Melbourne, where she played her way into her first slam MD in two and a half years. It'd been soon after that '22 Wimbledon 2nd Round push (def. Siniakova, taking Riske-Amritraj to three) that Chwalinska suffered the knee injury that would cost her six months of action. She'd finally started to regain her earlier career momentum in '24, winning a trio of singles titles (a 125, the biggest of her career at the time, and two $75K events, her first challenger titles in two years). That year, she posted a career high for match wins in a season (48). In 2025, she won her second 125 crown.

Prior to RG, Chwalinska was off to maybe her best season start in '26, reaching her maiden tour-level QF in Cluj, as well as posting a succession of good results at lower levels, including a 125 SF, QF and title run (the last two on clay), as well as a $75K QF on the dirt.

With her seven Q/MD wins in Paris, Chwalinska is now 17-5 this clay season and is inside the Top 50 in the "live" rankings. Oh, yeah, and she's a win away from a berth in a major semifinal.

[NOTE: per the annual Justine Henin Day in this space, Chwalinska earns the "Coupe LA-PETIT-TAUREAU" this June 1st for reaching her maiden major QF on the Belgian great's birthday. The reason? Well, neither woman has allowed their small size -- both Henin and Chwalinska stand five-feet-five -- to hold them back in the sport, *and* when Henin made her RG MD debut in 1999 she also did so as a qualifier, reaching the 2nd Round.]

...Chwalinska's upcoming opponent was actually the first woman to advance to the QF earlier in the day on Monday.

The schedule-starting match-up on Chatrier pitted #22 Anna Kalinskaya and #28 Anatasia Potapova -- aka an Oliynykova fever dream -- in what was a rollercoaster of a contest.

While Kalinskaya's talent has never been in question, the Hordette has been dogged throughout her career by nagging injuries and questions about her will to push through them (just ask Ostapenko her opinion on that, then stand back). She came into the day having uncharacteristically *not* retired from any events this season, but had yet to produce anything better than a QF result in 2026.

Meanwhile, Potapova has been a breakout performer this clay season, posting Linz final, Madrid SF and Rome 4th Rd. results, playing her way from a #97 ranking in the first week of April to a Top 30 seed for this RG. The Austrian came into the day at 17-4 on the dirt this spring.

It didn't take long for the swings of momentum to begin. Potapova surged to a 4-1 lead in the 1st, while Kalinskaya (already not feeling well) was wincing and stretching out her body (she apparently has had an abductor injury since Rome, and coach Patricia Tarabini has said that she almost didn't play RG). But in game 6, down love/30, Potapova lost a point when the chair umpire jumped from her seat to check a mark on a Potapova shot that had been called out... and promptly said that the call was correct, even though she was looking at a mark some ten inches or so from the one left at the end of the shot in question.

Now down love/40, Potapova soon dropped serve and Kalinskaya picked up the momentum and caught her on the scoreboard at 4-4, taking advantage of Potapova not driving the ball through the court on her shots, leaving them short and allowing the Russian to step in and take control of rallies. Kalinskaya ran off five straight games, getting a final break to steal the set at 6-4.

Potapova broke to open the 2nd set and again took the early lead at 3-1, then saved a BP to hold for 4-2 with great defense and a Kalinskaya miss on GP. Kalinskaya DF'd to give Potapova a BP a game later and another error off her racket put Potapova up a double-break at 5-2. The Austrian served out the set in the following game.

After having failed to convert her BP chance in game 6 of the 2nd, Kalinskaya briefly let her frustration get the best of her. Her mood carried over into the 3rd as she dropped serve at love to open the final set. But Potapova immediately gave the break back, then saw Kalinskaya save four BP in a 13-minute hold for a 2-1 lead. Kalinskaya's edge then swelled to 4-1.

Of course, that meant that it was Potapova's turn to flip the script. Having already overturned a 3-1 3rd set deficit to defeat Coco Gauff in the 3rd Round to get here, Potapova fired a backhand down the line into the corner to break Kalinskaya to close to 4-3, then got a tight hold of serve to knot the score at 4-4.

In game 9, an error filled Kalinskaya game -- a DF and two forehand errors -- put her down 15/40, then a netted backhand on BP #2 gave Potapova a break lead (again) at 5-4. She served for the match, only to drop serve at love. Kalinskaya held at love, running her points streak to seven at 40/love before Potapova got the game to deuce. The Austrian put away a brilliant volley to reach BP, on which a Kalinskaya DF made it 6-5. Potapova got a second chance to serve out the win.

Again she couldn't get it done, and the two headed to a match tie-break.

Potapova once more got out quicker, leading the 10-point breaker 4-1. But Kalinskaya would surge last, tying up the score at 4-4 and then pulling away down the stretch. A Potapova miss gave Kalinskaya her first MP at 9-6, and a long return ended it at 10-6 with Kalinskaya prevailing 6-4/2-6/7-6(10-6).

It earns Kalinskaya her second career major QF berth, and her first in Paris.



...the wheelchair draw is out, and there's at least one super-intriguing 1st Round match.

Two weeks after Lizzy de Greef posted her first career win over Diede de Groot on her way to a title in Rome, and a week after de Groot got her back with a victory in the final of Barcelona, the two Dutch women will *open* against each other in Paris.

The winner would likely be on course for a SF meeting with #1 seed Yui Kamiji.






*WOMEN'S SINGLES QF*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. vs. #25 Diana Shnaider/RUS
#22 Anna Kalinskaya/RUS vs. (Q) Maja Chwalinska/POL
#7 Elina Svitolina/UKR vs. #15 Marta Kostyuk/UKR
#8 Mirra Andreeva/RUS vs. #18 Sorana Cirstea/ROU

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. (PR) Kempen/Klepac (BEL/SLO)
#4 Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA) vs. #11 Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
Aoyama/Liang (JPN/TPE) vs. #13 Guo Hanyu/Mladenovic (CHN/FRA)
#7 Perez/Schuurs (AUS/NED) vs. #2 Danilina/Krunic (KAZ/SRB)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
#1 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) def. #7 Danilina/Tracy (KAZ/USA)
#4 Krawczyk/Skupski (USA/GBR) vs. Siegemund/Roger-Vasselin (GER/FRA)
Dabrowski/King (CAN/USA) w/o Bucsa/Matos (ESP/BRA)
Muhammad/Mektic (USA/CRO) def. Routliffe/Goransson (NZL/SWE)







...YOU KNOW, IF SERENA DECIDES SHE WANTS TO PLAY A FEW *SINGLES* MATCHES, TOO, then wild cards are going to be even *MORE* difficult for players to come by... ON DAY 9:




...HMMM, IT'S INTERESTING THAT... ON DAY 9:

...Shnaider is back wearing a bandanna after playing without it in recent weeks. I noticed that rather than something she bought on her own, as was the case in the past, she's now wearing one with a Yonex logo (just like her outfit). Could she *finally* have found a company that'll provide her with a wider variety, including a usable white bandanna for Wimbledon?




...FASTEST TAIL IN THE WEST OF PARIS... ON DAY 9:




...THE HOUSE THAT AGA BUILT... ON DAY 9:









































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*RG Coupe LA-PETIT-TAUREAU WINNERS*
2016 Yulia Putintseva, KAZ
2017 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2018 Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
2019 Simona Halep, ROU* (*-was first to def. Swiatek at RG, 4r)
2020 Simona Halep, ROU
2021 Carla Suarez Navarro, ESP (one-handed BH)
2022 Diane Parry/FRA (one-handed BH) and Iga Swiatek/POL (title & cap)
2023 Justine Henin - 20th Anniversary of first RG title
2024 Iga Swiatek - first RG three-peat since Henin '07
2025 Iga Swiatek - passes Henin w/ 25th con. RG win
2026 Maja Chwalinska - 5'5" Pole reaches maiden slam QF in first RG

*QUALIFIERS IN ROLAND GARROS QF*
1972 Katja Ebbinghaus, FRG
1972 Corinne Molesworth, GBR
1978 Helga Masthoff, FRG
1978 Miroslava Bendlova, TCH
1999 Barbara Schwartz, AUT
2000 Marta Marrero, ESP
2001 Petra Mandula, HUN
2008 Carla Suarez-Navarro, ESP
2012 Yaroslava Shvedova, KAZ
2020 Nadia Podoroska, ARG (SF)
2020 Martina Trevisan, ITA
2026 Maja Chwalinska, POL

*FIRST-TIME MAJOR QF AT RG IN 2020s*
2020 Nadia Podoroska, ARG (2nd career slam MD)
2020 Laura Siegemund, GER (16th)
2020 Iga Swiatek, POL (7th)
2020 Martina Trevisan, ITA (2nd)
2021 Paula Badosa, ESP (8th)
2021 Coco Gauff, USA (6th)
2021 Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (5th)
2021 Elena Rybakina, KAZ (7th)
2021 Maria Sakkari, GRE (21st)
2021 Tamara Zidansek, SLO (9th)
2022 Veronika Kudermetova, RUS (13th)
2023 Beatriz Haddad Maia, BRA (12th)
2024 Mirra Andreeva, RUS (5th)
2024 Jasmine Paolini, ITA (18th)
2025 Lois Boisson, FRA (1st)
2026 Maja Chwalinska, POL (3rd)
2026 Diana Shnaider, RUS (12th)

*RECENT RG "LAST QUALIFIER STANDING"*
[2020]
(SF) Nadia Podoroska/ARG
[2021]
(2nd) Hailey Baptiste/USA, Anhelina Kalinina/UKR & Varvara Lepchenko/USA
[2022]
(2nd) Fernanda Contreras/MEX, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Aleksandra Krunic/SRB, Donna Vekic/CRO
[2023]
(3rd) Mirra Andreeva/RUS, Olga Danilovic/SRB, Kayla Day/USA, Clara Tauson/DEN
[2024]
(4th) Olga Danilovic/SRB
[2025]
(3rd) Victoria Mboko/CAN
[2026]
(in QF) Maja Chwalinska/POL




*2026 RG FINAL 8*
[by career slam QF]
16 - Aryna Sabalenka
15 - Elina Svitolina
4 - Mirra Andreeva
3 - Sorana Cirstea
2 - Anna Kalinskaya
2 - Marta Kostyuk
1 - Maja Chwalinska
1 - Diana Shnaider

[by career RG QF]
6 - Svitolina
4 - Sabalenka
3 - Andreeva
2 - Cirstea
1 - Chwalinska
1 - Kalinskaya
1 - Kostyuk
1 - Diana Shnaider

[w/ consecutive slam QF]
14 (7) - Sabalenka (last 14 played; DNP '24 WI)
2 - Svitolina

[w/ consecutive RG QF]
4 - Sabalenka
4 - Svitolina
3 - Andreeva

[2026 slam QF - unseeded]
AO - none
RG - Chwalinska (Q)

[2026 1st-time GS QF]
AO - Iva Jovic (6th MD)
RG - Maja Chwalinska (3rd MD)
RG - Diana Shnaider (12th MD)

[2026 multiple slam QF]
2 - Sabalenka (AO/RG)
2 - Svitolina (AO/RG)

[2026 slam QF - by nation]
4...USA (4/0)
3...RUS (0/3) - M.Andreeva,Kalinskaya,Shnaider
3...UKR (1/2) - Kostyuk,Svitolina
2...BLR (1/1) - Sabalenka
2...POL (1/1) - Chwalinska
1...KAZ (1/0)
1...ROU (0/1) - Cirstea

[WTA career slam QF - active singles]
39...Venus Williams, USA
18...Victoria Azarenka, BLR
16...Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
15...Elina Svitolina, UKR
14...Iga Swiatek, POL
12...Madison Keys, USA
11...Karolina Pliskova, CZE
10...Coco Gauff, USA
10...Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS
10...Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
9...Jessie Pegula, USA

[WTA slam QF & W/L in 2020s - 25 events]
16 - Sabalenka (13-1+W)*
14 - Swiatek (9-5)
10 - Gauff (5-5)
9 - Pegula (3-6)
9 - Svitolina (2-6)*
7 - Rybakina (4-3)
7 - Jabeur (3-4)
6 - Muchova (4-2)
6 - Krejcikova (2-4)
5 - Keys (3-2)
5 - Pavlyuchenkova (1-4)
4 - M.Andreeva (1-2)*
4 - Anisimova (2-2)
4 - Barty (3-1)
4 - Ka.Pliskova (1-3)
4 - Vondrousova (1-2+L)
4 - Zheng Q. (1-3)
3 - Osaka (3-0)
3 - Halep (2-1)
3 - Badosa (1-2)
3 - Navarro (1-2)
3 - Ostapenko (0-3)
3 - Tomljanovic (0-3)
2 - Azarenka (2-0)
2 - Bencic (1-1)
2 - Brady (2-0)
2 - Cirstea (0-1)*
2 - Collins (1-1)
2 - Fernandez (1-1)
2 - Haddad Maia (1-1)
2 - Kalinskaya (0-1)*
2 - Kenin (2-0)
2 - Kostyuk (0-1)*
2 - Kvitova (1-1)
2 - Paolini (2-0)
2 - Sakkari (2-0)
2 - Siegemund (0-2)
2 - Trevisan (1-1)
2 - Vekic (1-1)
2 - S.Williams (2-0)
1 - Boisson (1-0)
1 - Bouzkova (0-1)
1 - Chwalinska (0-0)*
1 - Cornet (0-1)
1 - Garcia (1-0)
1 - Golubic (0-1)
1 - Hsieh (0-1)
1 - Jovic (0-1)
1 - Kanepi (0-1)
1 - Kasatkina (1-0)
1 - Kerber (1-0)
1 - Kontaveit (0-1)
1 - V.Kudermetova (0-1)
1 - Linette (1-0)
1 - Maria (1-0)
1 - Mertens (0-1)
1 - Muguruza (1-0)
1 - Niemeier (0-1)
1 - Noskova (0-1)
1 - Pironkova (0-1)
1 - Podoroska (1-0)
1 - Putintseva (0-1)
1 - Raducanu (1-0)
1 - Rogers (0-1)
1 - Samsonova (0-1)
1 - Shnaider (0-0)*
. 1 - Stephens (0-1)
1 - Sun (0-1)
1 - Yastremska (1-0)
1 - Zidansek (1-0)

[WTA slam QF by nation in 2020s - 25 slams/200]
42 - USA
24 - CZE
18 - BLR (Sabalenka)
16 - POL (Chwalinska)
15 - RUS (M.Andreeva,Kalinskaya,Shnaider)
12 - UKR (Kostyuk,Svitolina)
8 - KAZ
7 - AUS
7 - TUN
5 - GER
5 - ROU (Cirstea)
4 - CHN
4 - ESP
4 - ITA
3 - FRA
3 - LAT
3 - SUI
2 - BRA
2 - CAN
2 - CRO
2 - EST
2 - GRE
2 - JPN
1 - ARG,BEL,BUL,GBR,JPN,NZL,SLO,TPE

[WTA slam QF W/L by nation in 2020s]
42 - USA (21-21)
24 - CZE (9-14+L)
18 - BLR (15-1+W)*
16 - POL (10-5)*
15 - RUS (3-9)***
12 - UKR (3-7)**
8 - KAZ (4-4)
7 - AUS (3-4)
7 - TUN (3-4)
5 - GER (2-3)
5 - ROU (2-2)*
4 - CHN (1-3)
4 - ESP (2-2)
4 - ITA (3-1)
3 - JPN (3-0)
3 - FRA (2-1)
3 - SUI (1-2)
3 - LAT (0-3)
2 - BRA (1-1)
2 - CAN (1-1)
2 - CRO (1-1)
2 - EST (0-2)
2 - GRE (2-0)
1 - ARG (1-0)
1 - BEL (0-1)
1 - BUL (0-1)
1 - GBR (1-0)
1 - NZL (0-1)
1 - SLO (1-0)
1 - TPE (0-1)






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— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) May 31, 2026 at 11:49 AM


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TOP QUALIFIER: Claire Liu/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
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): x
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 QF)
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 OPPORTUNITร‰ : Nominee: Kostyuk, Svitolina, Kalinskaya, Shnaider
IT "??": Nominees: Andreeva (teen), Jr., de Greef? (WC)
COMEBACK: Nominees: de Groot? (WC), Hordettes (3 in QF), Teichmann
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: Nominee: Sabalenka
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 9. More tomorrow.
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Sunday, May 31, 2026

RG.8- From Here to Inevitability

Marta Kostyuk's big persona has met her first truly large moment at this Roland Garros, and lives to tell the tale. In the process, the Ukranian delivered to Iga Swiatek a birthday present that the four-time champ most definitely wishes had not arrived.



In the past, with so much at stake, the moment might have been too much for the 23-year old Kostyuk. But today was different, largely because she was the one in charge when the groundstrokes counted the most.

While on Sunday Swiatek rarely resembled the player whose very presence used to essentially (and surely psychologically) put her up one set on nearly every opponent she faced at this event before the first ball had ever been struck, the #3-seeded Pole still had her best moments on the day during the opening set, one characterized by surprisingly short rallies, and abundance of unforced errors (20+ for both women, with Kostyuk's quicky forgotten and never holding her back, but Swiatek's consistently stopping any momentum she may have built).

In the opening games of the match, Kostyuk staved off falling into an early hole that could have carved out a clear path to victory for Swiatek, the sort of scenario that has occurred quite often during the former #1's RG career, as she's thrived when faced with opponents offering less resistence (see her early matches at *this* event). The #15 seed saved a BP in the opening game to hold, then rallied again, this time from love/30 down, two games later.

(BTW, a nod to whomever it was for the WTA/RG who finally realized that the score identifier needs to be superimposed on the video in posts such as this if they're going to feature this back-and-forth pan on a narrow screen, so the viewer *knows what they're actually watching*.)

Swiatek held serve in a tough, close game 4, but Kostyuk immediately responded with a love hold of her own.

It was Swiatek who got the first break of the match to lead 4-3 after having fallen behind 30/love. It was a brief rocky stretch for that Ukrainian that had started with a double-fault. But, again, Kostyuk came back stronger. Well, really, it was probably more a case of Swiatek stumbling, with three straight unforced errors putting her in a love/40 spot. She then pulled a forehand off the court to drop serve and level the score at 4-4.

It would be the start of Swiatek's UE era in the match, and one that she never really emerged from even as she found herself in position to still claim the set. Kostyuk fell behind 15/40 in game 9, but two errors from Swiatek got things back to deuce. The Pole got the break to lead 5-4 and serve for the set. But she failed to do so.

Given a reprieve, Kostyuk took to her next service game with a chance to edge back ahead. She DF'd on her first GP, but held for 6-5 with a wide return error from Swiatek. Now holding onto the set by her fingernails, Swiatek DF'd twice in game 10, falling behind love/30, and then again to give the Ukrainian her first SP at 30/40. A backhand passing shot secured the set at 7-5.

Kostyuk had left the door open for Swiatek to take the lead in the match, not an insignificant moment considering that Iga came into the day with a 40-0 mark in her RG career when winning the 1st set, and a 3-3 one when she hasn't (per TNT Sports). But the problems with Swiatek's game threw a lifeline that Kostyuk grabbed with both hands, pulling the Pole under the proverbial water's surface while the Ukrainian climbed over her and onto safe land.

For the 1st, Swiatek won just 48% of her first serves, and 45% of her second (as Kostyuk stepped well inside the baseline to receive), being broken on all three BP she faced while committing 25 UE to just 6 winners. Weeks ago, Swiatek has come into the clay season shrugging off her service issues, saying that her serve isn't as "crucial" to victory for her on the dirt. Hmmm.

While Swiatek scurried off to do what she does when she loses a 1st set, Kostyuk stayed behind and seized the moment while she waited. In a way, she almost "planted her flag" in the terre battue that makes up the surface of what used to be considered the Pole's "home" court at Chatrier, showing just how free *she* felt (especially as opposed to her far-tighter opponent) by dancing to the music that played over the loudspeakers. Once play resumed, Swiatek could never put the Ukrainian's champagne back into its bottle.



Kostyuk dropped serve to open the 2nd set, but it would prove to be Swiatek's last gasp. The Pole DF'd to hand Kostyuk a BP in game 2, then after fighting back for a GP flew a wild forehand. She then DF'd again to give Kostyuk another break chance, and took care of things on her own with a wide backhand error, giving up her early lead in the set. She'd never lead again. In fact, she wouldn't even get on the board.

Kostyuk denied three BP chances in the following game, but fired off an ace (an overhand one) to hold for 2-1. After pressing Swiatek's second serve as she had all day, the "I dare you to make me pay for it" tactic of positioning herself to receive some six feet inside the baseline finally seemed to break Swiatek's will. The Pole fell behind love/40 and was broken at love.

Kostyuk then took a 30/love in game 5 with a pair of face-to-face reflex volleys, on both low and rocketed-back Swiatek shots. She held at love to lead 4-1, having won eleven straight points.

It was here where TNT's Genie Bouchard noted the bad body language of Swiatek, calling it surprising... betraying that she clearly hasn't been watching many of Swiatek matches (especially vs. top players) since mid-2024, as since then when she faces push-back challenges from opponents it's usually been Iga who has shrunk in the moment. It's actually sort of been "par for the course."

Continuing to assail Swiatek's serve, Kostyuk took a 15/40 lead in game 6. A wild miss from the Pole on BP #2 put her down 5-1, as her fade away was nearly complete.

A Kostyuk drop shot (as so-called "cheeky" as she got between the lines on this day) put the Ukrainian up 40/15 before Swiatek's wide return put an end to her discouraging 25th birthday (non-)party, with Kostyuk cruising over the finish by winning nine of the last ten games in a 7-5/6-1 victory that puts her into her first RG QF (second at a major) and one step nearer to claiming her "inevitability" as her personal brand on a huge stage.



The win extends Kostyuk's consecutive clay court winning streak this spring to sixteen matches, making this a not-exactly "stunning" result. Anyone paying attention knew she had it *in* her, and that if she showed it today that Swiatek would likely be the one to back down. It wasn't a certaintly that Kostyuk would arrive in character, but she did. And so did Swiatek.

Truthfully, the way both handled the match, if you didn't now the truth you might think that it was Kostyuk who was the four-time champion, and Swiatek the as-yet-unproven talent trying to navigate the big stage at RG.

Umm, but wasn't new coach Francisco Roig supposed to make such a huge immediate difference? And, oh yeah, wasn't that Rafa Nadal watched practice from the sideline for a few days supposed to mean that Iga was going win RG #5 because, I don't know, she breathed the same air as the 14-time Roland Garros champ (or something)? Yeah, I guess the Iga-ites got a litte carried away. Imagine that.

Instead, there has been no "back to the future" resurrection, and she instead produced her worst result in Paris since her 2019 debut.

Fact is, the regression remains. Swiatek still loses focus and takes a step back when challenged. Her serve is *worse.* She makes *far* more UE (39 in 19 games today) than she used to. Any opponent worthy of her no longer has reason to fear her.

Now it's onto the grass season, where the now-fired former coach Wim Fissette last summer finally got it through Swiatek's head that she had to alter her game a little to win on a different surface, kicking off her best three-month stretch (the only one close to her former standards) -- Bad Homburg RU, Wimbledon and Cincy wins, and a "personal victory" in Seoul -- since she last played for and won a clay tour title in Paris in 2024.

It still wasn't enough to get Fissette through an additional seven months as coach, though.

When the tour posted an article the week leading into RG that listed Swiatek *atop* the WTA's clay court "Power Rankings" despite not having reached a clay final in *two years* it was pretty clear that the Pole's reputation on the surface was by now nearly threadbare due to overuse, and that notion should really be an undisputed one now.

Today's result, and how it played out, wasn't a big shock. The biggest question was how *Kostyuk* was going to manage the moment, not Swiatek.

People need to let go of the notion, at least until further notice, that Iga has some kind of private, Rafa-like path to success (she doesn't) due to some "special relationship" with Roland Garros (they've certainly hit a rough patch), or that clay gives Swiatek some inherent advantage in big events/matches over other top players. It doesn't.

Not in 2026.

When the *next* clay season rolls around we'll be weeks from it being *three years* since Swiatek last played in a clay court final. You want to know how many other tour players have reached clay finals in tour-level events over that stretch? Well...

Mirra Andreeva
Elina Avanesyan
Irina-Camelia Begu
Lois Boisson
Anna Bondar
Marie Bouzkova
Jaqueline Cristian
Olga Danilovic
Magdalena Frech
Coco Gauff
Maya Joint
Anhelina Kalinina
Katarzyna Kawa
Sofia Kenin
Marta Kostyuk
Magda Linette
Petra Marcinko
Victoria Mboko
Karolina Muchova
Emma Navarro
Camila Osorio
Alona Ostapenko
Jasmine Paolini
Jessie Pegula
Veronika Podrez
Anastasia Potapova
Elena Rybakina
Aryna Sabalenka
Liudmila Samsonova
Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Diana Shnaider
Yuliia Starodubtseva
Elina Svitolina
Jil Teichmann
Panna Udvardy
Donna Vekic
Zheng Qinwen

That's thirty-seven, and three of them are *Polish*. None are named Iga.



As for Kostyuk, well, a week from now *she* could be seen as "special."

But to get there she's going to have to travel over a path close to home.








=DAY 8 NOTES=
...Roland Garros' now-annual get-'em-on-and-get-'em-out mentality when it comes to the women's draw was in fine form on Day 8, as probably the biggest match of the day went off right at the start of it, and with three of the day's four matches being done-and-dusted -- with time to spare -- before even one of the men's 4th Rounders had come to its conclusion (and three hadn't even started).

Taking place on Lenglen while Kostyuk was sticking another pin in the Swiatek "clay court queen" balloon on Chatrier, #18 Sorana Cirstea continued to move along on her "farewell" tour by posting bigger and bigger results.

The 36-year old Romanian's second '26 experience in a major has gone far differently than her first in Melbourne, which ended testily with Cirstea's "choice words" for Naomi Osaka (and the usual social media attacks from the group still guarding Osaka's castle after all these years). In Paris, the veteran has slid quite easily into the role of the fan favorite trying to grab as much "for the road" while she still can, so much so that she's assuring herself of being nagged with "are you *really* going to retire while you're playing the best tennis of your life?" questions for as long as she sticks around. Or, you know, changes her mind.

Cirstea came into Sunday having lost just seven total games through the first three rounds. She encountered a bit more resistence today, but the result remained the same.



Against qualifier Wang Xiyu, Cirstea won their Round of 16 match by a 6-3/7-6(4) score, handing Wang just her third loss in thirty matches this season, to reach her third career major QF. Her second such result at RG comes a full seventeen years after her first as a 19-year old back in 2009.



...next up on Chatrier, Elina Svitolina checked off a box on her To-Do List that she's filled before, reaching her sixth QF in the City of Light.



Facing off with #11 Belinda Bencic in, yes, an all-mom 4th Rounder on Mother's Day in France, Svitolina found her back against the wall for the second time in three rounds. In the 1st Round, the 31-year old Ukrainian had to rally from 3-1 down in the 3rd set vs. Anna Bondar. Today against the Swiss, the challenge came a bit earlier.

Bencic jumped out to a double-break lead at 5-2 in the opening set before Svitolina began to reel her back, cutting the Swiss' break lead in half and then holding a pair of BP at 5-4 to get back on serve. But, on her second SP, Bencic got the hold to secure the set, then at 1-1 in the 2nd found herself with a BP (on a Svitolina second serve) to take an early lead, which could be followed by a chance to consolidate with a hold to get within three wins of the QF.

But Svitolina saved the BP, and everything changed.

Bencic soon netted a crosscourt backhand, as Svitolina got the hold to inch ahead at 2-1. From the missed BP forward, Svitolina won 14 of the next 17 points, seizing control of the set at 4-1, then taking a love/40 lead on Bencic's serve with a chance for a *double-break* advantage. Bencic denied *that*, saving four BP in the game, to avoid a 5-1 deficit.

Svitolina eventually led 5-2, and served for the set at 5-3, only to flub away her opportunity with a handful of errors, falling behind 15/40, then pushing a short ball beyond the baseline to put the set back on serve.

But the thought that another momentum turnaround would occur was a false alarm. Svitolina pulled herself back from the famed "Cliffs of Simona" of (Backspin) lore, taking a 15/40 lead on return in the next game, and breaking Bencic to level the match at one set each with a 6-4 win.

The Ukrainian never relinquished control. It was all but over when she went up a double-break at 4-0 in the 3rd, and she closed with strength with a deciding love set (just as she'd been shown the door by Simona Halep in the decider of their 2017 QF match in what was her best chance for an RG title run during Svitolina 1.0).

This will be Svitolina's fourth QF in Paris *since* that crushing loss, and the sixth of her RG career. She'll still looking for her first SF berth in the event.



So, in an all-Ukrainian QF (thankfully, the *correct* two), it'll be a case of "inevitability" vs. "accounting ability," united under a single flag, with malice toward none. (Don't get used to it, though, since it's possible this could be the last match of this RG for the winner that *doesn't* find the survivor facing off with an "inadvertent participant" in the drama on the side of the court.)

...in the final women's Round of 16 match of the day, #8 Mirra Andreeva, while not quite "inevitable," tried to keep the notion alive and well that she's "destined" -- at some point, time and date subject to her moods -- to lift a major trophy. So far, so good.



Andreeva 's 6-3/6-2 win over Jil Teichmann saw the 19-year old pull away mid-way into the opening set. After the two traded breaks early, Andreeva's break on BP #4 gave her a 4-3 edge. She held at love a game later, then broke the Swiss at 15 to take the 1st.

Andreeva quicky went out to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd, with her only hiccup coming when she was broken in game 7 while serving for the match. She held three MP, but dropped serve, but then broke Teichmann in the following game to finally get off the court and move onward and into her third consecutive RG quarterfinal.

The 19-year old, the youngest woman left in the draw, will next face the oldest remaining, 36-year old Cirstea.

...just days ago, 17-year old Pastry Ksenia Efremova said, "I think I'm not far from the Top 20." Then today, the reigning AO girls' champion and junior #1 was sent packing in the RG juniors 1st Round by Ekaterina Dotsenko, with the 14-year old Hordette qualifier getting the 6-3/6-3 win to overturn the girls' singles draw before things have really even begun.



Efremova made her tour-level and slam MD debut last week at RG, falling to Sorana Cirstea in the 1st Round.

...in ITF action, while the Italian women are no more in the women's draw in Paris, one had a good week in Zaragoza, Spain.

22-year old Jennifer Ruggeri claimed her biggest career title in the $75K event final, defeating Kayla Day 3-6/6-3/7-6(3) after turning around what had been a squandered 4-2 lead in the 3rd. Day ended up having have a pair of MP at 6-5, but Ruggeri forced a deciding TB and won it 7-3.

Ranked #267, Ruggeri is up 56 spots in the "live" rankings, coming in as the Italian #8.



Meanwhile, at the $75K challenger in Kurลกumlijska Banja, Serbia, it was another week, another Crusher champion.

18-year old Czech Laura Samson picked up her eighth career ITF crown (in 9 finals) with a 6-3/3-6/7-5 victory in the final over Serbian Lola Radivojevic , tying her biggest career title.

Already coming into the week at a career-high #155, Samson will crack the Top 140 for the first time in the "live" rankings a week before the official numbers are released after RG.





*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR vs. #16 Naomi Osaka/JPN
#19 Madison Keys/USA vs. #25 Diana Shnaider/RUS
#28 Anastasia Potapova/AUT vs. #22 Anna Kalinskaya/RUS
(Q) Maja Chwalinska/POL vs. Diane Parry/FRA
#7 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. #11 Belinda Bencic/SUI
#15 Marta Kostyuk/UKR def. #3 Iga Swiatek/POL
#8 Mirra Andreeva/RUS def. (PR) Jil Teichmann/SUI
#18 Sorana Cirstea/ROU def. (Q) Wang Xiyu/CHN

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
#1 Siniakova/Townsend (CZE/USA) vs. (PR) Kempen/Klepac (BEL/SLO)
x/x vs. #11 Siegemund/Zvonareva (GER/RUS)
x/x vs. x/x
x/x vs. #2 Danilina/Krunic (KAZ/SRB)

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
#1 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA) vs. #7 Danilina/Tracy (KAZ/USA)
#4 Krawczyk/Skupski (USA/GBR) vs. Siegemund/Roger-Vasselin (GER/FRA)
Bucsa/Matos (ESP/BRA) vs. Dabrowski/King (CAN/USA)
Muhammad/Mektic (USA/CRO) vs. Routliffe/Goransson (NZL/SWE)







...WELL, WELL... ON DAY 8:

So, this ends a three-year, 33-session streak of *zero* women's matches being featured in the night sesson on Chatrier, with just two in the fifty such matches having been played since 2022 when fans were first allowed into the stadium in the evening (post-Covid period).



Hey, and all it took was for two women with a combined eight major titles between them to kick in the door... you know, along with the reigning men's champion to withdraw, the #1 seed to exit in the 2nd Round, the 24-time slam winner to fall in the 3rd Round, the French teen sensation to fail to reach the 4th Round after a great first week (meaning no French men are still alive in the draw) and the #5, #6, #7, #8 men's seeds all failed to live up to their spots.

And *still* it wasn't a given, and more like a, "well, what *else* do we even have to choose from?" situation.

So, umm... THE TOURNAMENT HAS FINALLY SEEN THE LIGHT! Right?


...TOO BAD THE WTA CAN'T HIRE SOMEONE (anyone?) WHO WORKS ON TAYLOR SWIFT'S PROMOTIONS TEAM FOR THE TOUR'S NEXT MARKETING CAMPAIGN... ON DAY 8:

If this is all calculated (and it sort of has to be) to promote a movie soundtrack, it's a little bit insane. But in a pat-'em-on-the-back-for-working-overtime sort of way.




For the WTA, we get #MoreThanAGame or some such nonsense, and they announce it like they've really done something. (Rolls eyes.)



...I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY RESTRAINED THEMSELVES AND DIDN'T USE THAT IRRITATING "MOM(s) ON A MISSSION" LINE IN HERE SOMEWHERE (THANK YOU, TENNIS GODS)... ON DAY 8:




...NEW DANCE PARTNER INCOMING... ON DAY 8:




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RG26 "PROP PICK" UPDATE
1. The RG26 champion will come be a first-time winner in Paris. YES... with Swiatek's exit, the last remaining obstacle was removed from the equation
2. After Lois Boisson alone won five matches during her SF run at RG25, *collectively* the Pastries will fall short of that number at RG26 UNDECIDED... after an 0-6 start for the French women, this seemed like it'd be easy. But Diane Parry's three-win run has the total at four heading into the her 4th Round match vs. Chwalinska. Hard to believe this one might end up being a PUSH or a NO.
3. A #20+ seed will reach the QF for the first time since 2022 YES... there could be more than one, but there will *at least* one since it'll be a 4th Round match-up between between #22 Kalinskaya and #28 Potapova
4. A potential Swiatek/Ostapenko 3rd Round encounter is on deck (Ostapenko leads the h2h 6-0) ...it won't happen YES... the way I've talked about Swiatek this clay season, one might think I thought she might lose early. Nope, I was probably 70/30 (90/10?) thinking it'd be Alona. It was.
5. A Ukrainian will reach at least the SF YES...I'd said this would be *easy* if we got that potential QF match-up between Svitolina and Kostyuk. Well... (wink).
HM- Dark Horses (4r/QF??): #15 Marta Kostyuk, #28 Anastasia Potapova and #12 Linda Noskova? YES, YES and NO... Kostyuk needed to top her seed to count (yep), and Potapova already has. I thought Anisimova was vulnerable in Noskova's section (she was), but didn't expect the Czech to get bounced in the *1st* Round and never get a chance to take advantage of it. All in all, this was a bad slam for the Czechs... but, hey, Wimbledon is coming.






















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Wash, rinse, repeat...












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*RECENT RG "KIMIKO CUP FOR VETERAN ACHIEVEMENT" WINNERS*
2020 Petra Kvitova, CZE and Laura Siegemund, GER
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenova, RUS
2022 Flavia Pennetta & Francesca Schiavone, ITA/ITA (Legends)
2023 Kgothatso Montjane, RSA (WC) and Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
2024 Laura Siegemund, GER
2025 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2026 Sorana Cirstea, ROU

*RECENT RG "ZOMBIE QUEENS OF PARIS"*
[2015]
Elina Svitolina, UKR (down 6-1/3-0, 4-1 in 3rd set in 2r; wins 9-7)
[2016]
Tsvetana Pironkova, BUL (down 6-2/3-0 vs. A-Rad 4r; wins 1st 10 games two days later)
[2017]
Kristina Mladenovic, FRA (1st Rd.: down 3-0 in 3rd to Brady, wins 9-7; 3rd Rd. - down 5-2 in 3rd, wins 8-6 vs. Rogers; to first RG QF)
[2018]
Yulia Putintseva, KAZ (3rd Rd.: down 6-1/4-1 & 2 MP, 3-0 in 3rd, vs. Wang Qiang; to second career slam QF)
[2019]
Anna Blinkova, RUS (Q2: trailed 6-3/3-1 vs. Kalinina; Q3: trailed Glushko 3-0 in 3rd; 1st Rd.: trailed Gaspayarn 4-0 in 3rd; 2nd Rd.: trailed Garcia 3-0 in 3rd)
[2020]
Kiki Bertens, NED (2nd Rd.: injured; Errani up break 5 times in 3rd, served for match 3 times, 1 MP at 6-5; collapses and wheeled off court after 9-7 win)
[2021 Early-Round]
Katerina Siniakova, CZE (2nd Rd.: down 5-1 in 3rd vs. V.Kudermetova, saved 2 MP)
[2021 Mid/Late-Round]
Barbora Krejcikova, CZE (SF: saved MP in 3rd vs. Sakkari)
[2022]
Sloane Stephens, USA (lost to #306 Nefisa Berberovic pre-RG; 1r: set and 4-4, sitter for love/30 vs. Niemeier; 2r: Cirstea led 6-3/2-0, Stephens 12 con. games; 4r: Teichmann 2-0, Stephens 12 con. games)
[2023]
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, RUS (2nd Rd.: down 5-2 3rd vs. Samsonova; 4th Rd.: down set and 3-1, 7 BP for 4-1 vs. Mertens)
[2024]
Iga Swiatek, POL (2nd Rd.: down 4-1 (pt. for 5-1) and 5-2 vs. Osaka in 3rd; Osaka MP at 5-3)
[2025]
Madison Keys, USA (saved MP in second straight major: AO SF vs. Swiatek, RG 3r down 3-0 in 3rd vs. Kenin, saved 3 MP at 5-4)
[2026]
Elina Svitolina, UKR (in 1st Rd., trailed Bondar 3-1 in 3rd; avoided first 1r RG loss in 13 app.; in 3rd Rd., lost 1st set to Bencic, faced BP early in 2nd, then won 15/17 pts, 11/14 games to end)

*LONG WTA (MD+BJK only) WINNING STREAKS - 2020s*
37 - Iga Swiatek (2022)
21 - Iga Swiatek (2024)
18 - Iga Swiatek (2023-24)
17 - Simona Halep (2020)
16 - Coco Gauff (2023)
16 - Madison Keys (2025)
16 - MARTA KOSTYUK (2026, through 4th Rd.)






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BREAKING: Charles Manson backs out of the Freedom 250 concert

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— Joolia Ghoulia (@jooliaghoulia.bsky.social) May 31, 2026 at 7:46 AM


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— Mudflap (@bgfloyd.bsky.social) May 31, 2026 at 6:56 AM











TOP QUALIFIER: Claire Liu/USA
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #3 Iga Swiatek/POL
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): x
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): x
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: in 4r: Maja Chwalinska/POL, Wang Xiyu/CHN(L)
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 (in 4r)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITร‰ : Nominees: Kostyuk, Svitolina
IT "??": Nominee: Chwalinska (Q), Andreeva (teen), Jr., de Greef? (WC)
COMEBACK: Nominees: Teichmann, Osaka, de Groot? (WC)
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: --
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: nominee: Diane Parry (one-handed backhand) to play 4r on June 1 (Henin's birthday)









All for Day 8. More tomorrow.
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