Andy Schooler brings you his outright preview of the 2026 French Open women’s singles.
French Open betting tips: Women's singles
1pt e.w. Elina Svitolina at 18/1 (General 1/2 1-2)
0.5pt e.w. Karolina Muchova at 50/1 (Betfred 1/2, 1-2)
0.5pt e.w. Anastasia Potapova at 100/1 (General 1/2 1-2)
French Open – women’s singles
- Roland Garros, Paris, France (outdoor clay)
Last year at the French Open, two of the favourites contested the women’s singles final (and I’m pleased to say I picked out the winner).
However, this is a tournament which has thrown up plenty of surprise finalists in recent times.
In the past decade, we’ve had two triple-figure-priced champions – Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko – while the likes of Marketa Vondrousova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have made the final at big prices.
I would not be hugely surprised were another shock to occur this year.
Will there be another shock winner at the French Open?
While you can make a decent argument for most of the leading contenders, no-one has really grabbed things by the scruff of the neck in the lead-in to this tournament.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has hit favouritism with most firms following the draw, although after a sparkling start to the season, she’s tailed off rather since hitting the clay, going on 4-2 on the surface and suffering shock losses to Hailey Baptiste and Sorana Cirstea.
Throw in the fact that she’s yet to win this title and she looks short enough at 11/4.
Next in the betting is the player who has dominated this event in recent years, winning four of the last six editions, and that’s Iga Swiatek.
She’s often arrived here as clearly the player to beat having shone in the warm-up tournaments.
I’ve backed the Pole at odds-on here in the past but it’s far from clear she’s going to win this time around.
For the second year in a row, she’s failed to win any of the lead-in events and while she’s not been awful, it’s a far cry from other years when she’s thrown down the gauntlet to her rivals.
Swiatek has also landed in the tougher-looking bottom half of the draw, with the Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk a possible last-16 foe. She’s 11-0 on clay this season and is 28/1 for the title here.
Swiatek could still win – at her best, she probably won’t be beaten – but I’m not convinced about her price of 13/4.
Who appeals at the bigger prices?
Looking for bigger prices, I did consider siding with defending champion Coco Gauff again.
History suggests her backers will get a run for their money – the American has a strong record at Roland Garros, making at least the quarter-finals in each of the last five years.
She played well recently in Rome where she lost in the final but we all know her game can go awry with the serve and forehand both capable of going missing fast.
To her credit, Gauff often finds a way to overcome such problems – there are few better fighters in the game right now – but I’m less convinced about the American’s chances this year than I was last.
There’s also a tricky opponent awaiting, who I’ll come onto soon.
In the fourth quarter, Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva both warrant respect, too, but neither is for me.
As she did in 2024, Rybakina comes in having won the big title in Stuttgart but that event Is held indoors, which helps her big serve.
Forecast hot conditions (30C-plus) in week one should help that shot in Paris but Rybakina is also one who has struggled in the beat before – think Indian Wells in March where she blamed conditions for her narrow loss to Sabalenka.
Andreeva reached the semis here two years ago and the quarters last season. She won in Linz recently and has won plenty of matches during the clay swing.
However, she failed to claim any of the big warm-up titles and despite beating Swiatek in Stuttgart, she usually found someone that bit better.
That’s been the case at the Slams for the Russian – she’s yet to make a final – and a tough draw here doesn’t make breaking that duck any easier.
Of course, picking holes can be fairly easy but who does get the vote?
Well, I believe that ELINA SVITOLINA’s form is the best of everyone coming into the tournament and that assessment makes odds of 18/1 appeal.
I’ve long been a fan of the Ukrainian, who possesses some of the best defence in the game.
Throw in the slow surface and hitting winners past Svitolina is likely to be a tough business.
It certainly was in Rome recently where Svitolina won the title and beat Gauff, Swiatek and Rybakina in the last three rounds.
That effort continued what the player herself has described as her best-ever start to a season.
Having also beaten Swiatek and Andreeva on hardcourts, Svitolina is now 7-3 against top-10 players in 2026 and has beaten all of those above her in the market, bar Sabalenka.
The draw could have been kinder – she’s in the bottom half alongside the likes of Rybakina, Swiatek and Andreeva – but the first week looks very negotiable, leading into a possible quarter-final with Swiatek.
As Mrs Gael Monfils, Svitolina is also assured of strong crowd support in Paris and 18s is a price I’m happy to play at – back her each way.
I’m also going to throw some darts, hoping that those upset winners (or at least finalists) aren’t a thing of the past.
Much to like
Sticking in the bottom half, I like the chances of KAROLINA MUCHOVA at 50/1.
She’s in the fourth quarter with Rybakina and Andreeva but should not be ruled out.
The Czech made the final here in 2023 when the great variety in her game bamboozled many opponents.
This season, she’s already been to the final in Stuttgart where both Svitolina and Gauff were defeated.
At her best, as she was that week, Muchova is more than capable of another deep run at a Slam.
Her problem – and the reason for her price – has been staying fit. Injuries have struck too often and they will always be in the back of a punter’s mind.
However, there’s enough juice in Muchova’s price to warrant a small play.
Finally, I’ll head up to the top half which looks something of a land of opportunity.
With Sabalenka not at her best of late and Gauff’s vulnerability already highlighted, how about taking a chance on ANASTASIA POTAPOVA?
The 28th seed has settled in nicely on the clay and has gone 14-4 on the surface over the past few weeks.
That run has included a runner-up effort in Linz and a semi-final appearance in Madrid. She’s beaten Rybakina and Muchova and taken a set off eventual Madrid champion Kostyuk.
The Austrian is a potentially awkward customer for Gauff in round three and, interestingly, she’s won two of their three completed matches, including the only one on clay.
Were Potapova to survive that clash, the draw could really open up.
This second quarter also features Amanda Anisimova, a player who hasn’t played since Miami due to a wrist injury, so there’s a good chance for someone to take advantage.
Potapova is 12/1 for the quarter but I’ll take a small slice of the 100/1 on offer in the outright market.
Preview posted 0840 BST on 23/05/2026
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