Coco Gauff will return to Paris to defend her French Open title next month.
But Gauff might not be the favourite to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 2026…
Where will Coco Gauff be ranked at the end of 2026?
Former world number one Kim Clijsters has now named her three other ‘favourites’ for this year’s French Open.
Kim Clijsters names Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina among her French Open favourites
During the latest episode of ‘Love All‘, Clijsters shared her thoughts on the upcoming French Open.
“Yes, for sure [Elena Rybakina is a favourite]. Who is the number-one, [Aryna] Sabalenka? Do you put Coco [Gauff] in there? Those three. And I’d put Iga [Swiatek] in there, no matter what. It’s so fun,” she said.
All four players have enjoyed success on clay before, although it’s Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who has played the best at Roland Garros.
Kim Clijsters’ French Open favourites compared
| Player | French Open titles | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Iga Swiatek | 4 | 40-3 | 93% |
| Coco Gauff | 1 | 27-5 | 84% |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 0 | 22-8 | 73% |
| Elena Rybakina | 0 | 16-6 | 73% |
Rybakina has recorded the fewest wins in Paris of the four favourites, although she has taken a notable step forward in 2026.
The Kazakh won the Australian Open in January and recently lifted the trophy in Stuttgart on indoor clay.
Clijsters explained how Rybakina has become one of the most dangerous clay-court players in women’s tennis.
“I think the biggest factor or advantage that she [Elena Rybakina] has on any surface is the ability of her first or second shot being so deadly,” she said.
“If I would have played her on clay or on any surface, my goal would have been to try to make her move as quickly as possible. I wouldn’t try to hit three balls in the same corner of the court, because I want to keep her on the run.
“But you have to be able to do that, when she hits the ball as flat and as deep as she does, it is really hard to stay very low.
“We’ve seen Sabalenka able to do it, but it’s really hard to do that point after point, for hours.
“I do think she is moving a little bit better as well. She’s moved better on staying a little closer to the baseline and getting that wide forehand on the run, so I do see that she’s worked a lot on her stability when she’s being put out into the tramlines, but it’s just so hard.”
Live WTA Rankings
- 1. Aryna Sabalenka – 9,905 points
- 2. Elena Rybakina – 8,500 points
- 3. Iga Swiatek – 6,893 points
- 4. Coco Gauff – 6,639 points
- 5. Jessica Pegula – 6,081 points
Clijsters believes Rybakina’s serve and return are making her particularly dangerous in 2026.
“You have so much pressure on you when you’re playing against her, because she serves so well, so you hardly get any opportunity to get break points,” she said.
“That automatically gives you a lot more pressure on your service games.
“She’s a great returner as well, so from the moment that she sees a second serve, she’s going to step in and blast a return into the corner.
“So you’re starting to defend all the time, she’s just doing the first two shots of the rally really, really well.
“At the end of the day, the serve, at that point, doesn’t matter, because you don’t get to use the advantage of clay against her, when she’s playing that well.”
Rybakina has more than earned her status as a French Open favourite in 2026.
But there are reasons to be concerned if you are a fan of the Kazakh…
Elena Rybakina has never reached the French Open semi-finals
The 26-year-old has played seven French Open tournaments, but has yet to advance past the quarter-finals.
Elena Rybakina’s French Open results
- 2019 French Open – Lost in 1R to Katerina Siniakova
- 2020 French Open – Lost in 2R to Fiona Ferro
- 2021 French Open – Lost in QF to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
- 2022 French Open – Lost in 3R to Madison Keys
- 2023 French Open – Withdrew before 3R
- 2024 French Open – Lost in QF to Jasmine Paolini
- 2025 French Open – Lost in 4R to Iga Swiatek
Rybakina came closest to winning the title in 2021 and 2024, losing to the eventual runners-up, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Jasmine Paolini, in the quarter-finals.
Of course, she has improved since then, but only time will tell if she has made enough improvements to truly challenge for the title.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
Rybakina has tennis to play before she travels to Paris, though, as she now prepares for her Madrid Open second-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Friday, April 24.
