French Open: Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff made to work hard to reach round 3
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were pushed harder than expected before sealing straight-set wins in Paris to reach the third round of the French Open on Thursday, May 28.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka was tested early in her second-round clash at the French Open before finding her rhythm to defeat France’s Elsa Jacquemot 7-5, 6-2 and move into the third round at Roland Garros. Coco Gauff also overcame a couple of early jitters to defeat Mayar Sherif and make it to the next round.
FRENCH OPEN 2026, DAY 5 UPDATES
It was a day of upsets at the French Open, but the defending champion and the world No.1 ensured that they didn't slip up at Roland Garros. Despite being heavily favoured, Sabalenka found it difficult to shake off the world No. 67 in the opening set. Jacquemot matched the Belarusian shot for shot as the contest remained level at 5-5 after the first 10 games.
The momentum shifted late in the set when Sabalenka held serve to edge ahead 6-5 and then produced a crucial break in the next game to take the opener. From there, the world No. 1 took complete control of the match, breaking Jacquemot three times in the second set to wrap up the victory in straight sets.
Sabalenka will next face former world No. 8 Daria Kasatkina, who advanced after defeating Susan Bandecchi in her second-round encounter. The upcoming clash will renew a familiar rivalry, with Sabalenka holding a commanding 7-2 advantage in their previous nine meetings on the WTA Tour.
GAUFF CONTINUES TITLE DEFENCE
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff also booked her place in the third round after overcoming qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2.
Although the defending champion looked comfortable for large stretches, her serve occasionally let her down during the match. Gauff earned early breaks in the first set on two separate occasions, only for Sherif to immediately fight back each time. The American eventually regained control by breaking again for a 5-3 lead before serving out the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Gauff twice moving ahead by a break before Sherif recovered to level the score at 2-2. However, the fourth seed remained composed under pressure and raised her level at the right moment, securing breaks in the fifth and seventh games to seal the win.
Gauff will now await the winner of the match between 28th seed Anastasia Potapova and Britain’s Katie Boulter to determine her third-round opponent.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka was tested early in her second-round clash at the French Open before finding her rhythm to defeat France’s Elsa Jacquemot 7-5, 6-2 and move into the third round at Roland Garros. Coco Gauff also overcame a couple of early jitters to defeat Mayar Sherif and make it to the next round.
FRENCH OPEN 2026, DAY 5 UPDATES
It was a day of upsets at the French Open, but the defending champion and the world No.1 ensured that they didn't slip up at Roland Garros. Despite being heavily favoured, Sabalenka found it difficult to shake off the world No. 67 in the opening set. Jacquemot matched the Belarusian shot for shot as the contest remained level at 5-5 after the first 10 games.
The momentum shifted late in the set when Sabalenka held serve to edge ahead 6-5 and then produced a crucial break in the next game to take the opener. From there, the world No. 1 took complete control of the match, breaking Jacquemot three times in the second set to wrap up the victory in straight sets.
Sabalenka will next face former world No. 8 Daria Kasatkina, who advanced after defeating Susan Bandecchi in her second-round encounter. The upcoming clash will renew a familiar rivalry, with Sabalenka holding a commanding 7-2 advantage in their previous nine meetings on the WTA Tour.
GAUFF CONTINUES TITLE DEFENCE
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff also booked her place in the third round after overcoming qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2.
Although the defending champion looked comfortable for large stretches, her serve occasionally let her down during the match. Gauff earned early breaks in the first set on two separate occasions, only for Sherif to immediately fight back each time. The American eventually regained control by breaking again for a 5-3 lead before serving out the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Gauff twice moving ahead by a break before Sherif recovered to level the score at 2-2. However, the fourth seed remained composed under pressure and raised her level at the right moment, securing breaks in the fifth and seventh games to seal the win.
Gauff will now await the winner of the match between 28th seed Anastasia Potapova and Britain’s Katie Boulter to determine her third-round opponent.
