Aryna Sabalenka will head into the 2026 French Open as the top seed and the odds-on favorite to clinch her maiden title at the clay-court Major. However, former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters has raised concerns about Sabalenka’s threat level at Roland Garros, while favoring defending champion Coco Gauff and four-time winner Iga Świątek.
Why Kim Clijsters Favors Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek Over Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open
After completing the Sunshine Double with her Indian Wells and Miami Open title wins, Sabalenka has experienced a slight downturn in her fortunes during the European clay-court swing. She suffered an unexpected loss to Hailey Baptiste in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open and was ousted by Sorana Cîrstea in the third round of the Italian Open. The Belarusian also needed treatment on her lower back during the defeat.
During a recent episode of the “Love All” podcast, Clijsters explained why she considers Gauff and Świątek stronger favorites for the French Open title than the world No. 1. She highlighted certain aspects of Sabalenka’s game that she believes are not effective on clay courts, adding that her opinion would remain unchanged even if the 28-year-old was performing at her best.
“Even though she made the finals there last year, to me in general, I have a couple of players I would put over her anyway. Even if she’s playing at her best, just because the movement is not quite. Like, the the type of tennis that she plays, she hits the ball so aggressive, but it just doesn’t always have the same effect on on that surface,” Clijsters said.
“And I think there’s some players when they’re playing well, Coco, Iga Świątek as well. Those two players to me are maybe just a little bit more of a favorite at the moment,” she added.
Although Clijsters acknowledged the confidence Sabalenka displayed during the Sunshine Double, she raised uncertainty over whether the four-time Grand Slam champion can replicate that form in Paris without the ideal preparation.
“But then again, if you see some of the shots that she was hitting in Indian Wells and where she, you know, on match point down and decisions that she makes, like she had a lot of confidence there, but now she’s on a different surface,” she said.
“So, is she able to bring that on a clay court? It’s going to be interesting to see. And she hasn’t had the great preparation and and the confidence matches that she’s had a few months ago, but will be interesting to see. But to me, Iga and Coco are definitely a little bit more of of a favorite to me.”
While Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek are also searching for their first clay-court title of the season, they have both reached the semifinals of the Italian Open, unlike Aryna Sabalenka. Featuring in opposite halves of the draw, Gauff will need to beat Sorana Cîrstea, while Świątek must triumph over Elina Svitolina to set up a blockbuster final in Rome.
