Coco Gauff came from a set down to overhaul Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s French Open final and the American world number four will have high hopes of defending her crown.
Victory at last season’s French Open was a second Grand Slam success for the 22-year-old, who claimed her breakthrough victory on home soil at the 2023 US Open.
Given her tender years, there should still be plenty of big days ahead for Gauff and she arrives at Roland Garros full of confidence following her runner-up effort to Elina Svitolina in Rome.
It was the second year in a row that Gauff had made the Italian Open final, having lost to Jasmine Paolini 12 months ago, and she will be hoping that tournament can provide the springboard for another dominant display in Paris.
Coco Gauff 2026 Roland Garros French Open prediction
Coco Gauff to win French Open (+650)
Gauff finished runner-up in Rome last year before improving to take the French Open title and she will be hoping that history can repeat itself.
The American would have been disappointed to lose to Svitolina in the Rome final on her last appearance, but that was the case last year too, as she suffered defeat to home favourite Paolini.
That augurs well given she has enjoyed the same preparation and Gauff has made it a habit of turning up and performing strongly in the French capital at this time of year.
The fourth seed came through a tough draw to make the final in Rome, recording wins over Iva Jovic, Mirra Andreeva and Sorana Cirstea, and she has an ability to thrive on a surface known for rewarding exceptional fitness rather than just raw power.
Gauff's success last year means that she has made at least the quarterfinals on her last five visits to Roland Garros, having also finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek in 2022.
The athletic American has won 27 of her 32 matches on the Parisian dirt and the second quarter of the draw could be the place to be this year, as compatriot Amanda Anisimova makes her first appearance since Miami in March and Qinwen Zheng has been battling injury for a while.
Linda Noskova may provide the toughest test for Gauff in quarter two, but she is blighted by inconsistencies and may prefer a quicker surface to be seen to best effect.
Renewing rivalry with Sabalenka in the semifinals could be on the cards but Gauff is one of the few who can consistently mix it with the world number one, having beaten her in the final for both of her Grand Slam victories.
Even so, Sabalenka has been beaten by much lower-ranked opponents in Hailey Baptiste and Cirstea in her last two appearances in Madrid and Rome to hint at some vulnerability and last season was her first run to the French Open final.
With world number five Jessica Pegula yet to find her best form on clay and Naomi Osaka still a long way below her peak, if Sabalenka was to fall early, then the draw would be one that can be exploited by Gauff.
The fourth seed is +120 to win the second quarter, which is of obvious interest, while she is +333 to make the final.
However, everything looks in place for Gauff to make a successful title defence and +650 may soon look generous as she gets to avoid four-time champion Iga Swiatek, Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina and rising star Mirra Andreeva until the final.
The slower nature of the clay gives Gauff the opportunity to utilise her athleticism and she has proven herself to be able to handle conditions much better than most.
Read the latest tennis news on site.
Coco Gauff 2026 Roland Garros French Open odds
To Win Outright | +650 |
To Reach the Final | +333 |
To Win Second Quarter | +120 |
Win Tournament Without Dropping a Set | +5000 |
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
