Qualifying for the 2026 French Open has already begun.
And the main draw is right around the corner, as tournament organisers finish up preparations for the second Grand Slam of the year.
Who will win this year’s French Open?
The second Slam of the year…
However, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has identified a major problem that could seriously affect the event.
Pat Cash says the French Open balls are ‘shot’ after 25 minutes
Cash shared his gripe with the French Open balls on Instagram.
“Paris, we have a problem,” he said.
“25 minutes and the balls are shot.
“They are fast balls to start, but become very slow and fluff up before the change after nine games.
“Clay balls are generally harder than hard-court balls.
“Going to be interesting at Roland Garros on a cold, wet day.”
The tennis balls used on tour were discussed at length last year.
Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, complained about the tennis balls on Instagram.
“We need to take care of the health of the player,” said Mouratoglou.
“The balls change too often, this is not normal.
“I understand that every tournament has its own interest in terms of sponsorship, but for money reasons, we are putting the health of the players at risk, and for sure, a lot of injuries come from changing balls constantly.
“Some are harder, some are softer, and it’s a completely different feel.
“You hit the ball a thousand times per day every single day, so the tendons are reacting completely different, and they need to adjust to the balls all the time.
“This has created injuries for sure.”
Former US Open finalist Taylor Fritz issued a complaint of his own during a press conference in Australia earlier this year.
“I just think the balls are so much slower,” he said.
“They are so much softer, so they just lose so much speed when they hit the court.
“I feel like the quality has gone down. They get so big so much quicker.
“There should be variance in the speeds, but at a certain point, there has to be reward when you’re being aggressive and taking risks.”
Fritz, Mouratoglou, and Cash have all expressed their displeasure with the tennis balls used on tour, but only time will tell how players deal with them in Paris.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
Did Pat Cash ever win the French Open?
Cash has shared his concerns about what might affect this year’s French Open, but has he ever lifted the title in Paris?
To put it simply, no.
The Aussie struggled at Roland Garros, only winning four matches at the event.
Pat Cash’s Grand Slam performance timeline
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | Final – 1987, 1988 | 26-11 | 70% |
| French Open | Fourth round – 1988 | 4-5 | 44% |
| Wimbledon | Winner – 1987 | 29-10 | 74% |
| US Open | Semi-final – 1984 | 9-7 | 56% |
Three of those came at the 1988 French Open, where Cash reached the fourth round.
Pat Cash at the 1988 French Open
- 1988 French Open 1R [WIN] vs Jimmy Brown, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
- 1988 French Open 2R [WIN] vs Javier Sanchez, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
- 1988 French Open 3R [WIN] vs Mark Woodforde, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
- 1988 French Open 4R [LOSS] vs Andrei Chesnokov, 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 3-6
Like many players in the 80s, Cash didn’t attend every Grand Slam, every year, and played only five French Open tournaments.
He’ll be hoping one of his fellow Aussies can do what he couldn’t and win the title this year.
World number nine, Alex de Minaur, is the nation’s best hope, although he has been struggling recently.
The 27-year-old lost three matches in a row before bouncing back in the first round of the Hamburg Open.
- 2026 Hamburg Open 1R – Alex de Minaur defeated Francisco Cerundolo, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
De Minaur will return to play his second-round match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina later this week.
