The French Open 2026 seeds, men and women, have continued to crumble as the tournament enters the third round in singles. After 15 seeds left the tournament in the first round, 14 others said their goodbyes in the second round, with Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton, and Elena Rybakina being the biggest upsets.
While some players suffered injuries, some struggled in Paris’ unusually high temperatures. Meanwhile, others were bested by unrelenting opposition. Here’s a look at the top men and women who lost their second-round singles matches.
7 Men’s Seeds, Including Jannik Sinner and Ben Shelton, Knocked Out in French Open Round 2
Jannik Sinner is the tournament’s biggest upset. The World No. 1 was the overwhelming favorite to win the trophy and complete the Career Grand Slam in the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak, having not lost a single match since February.
He seemed poised to advance to the third round, leading his Argentine opponent 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 when his Paris dreams came crashing down. Sinner’s physical struggles became evident, and his movement was dramatically compromised when he tried to serve for the match twice in sweltering daytime heat. The Italian was unable to recover and ultimately lost the match in five sets.
Ben Shelton was another big blow to the tournament. The American’s defeat came just hours after his half of the draw opened with Sinner’s exit. Shelton was no match for his Belgian opponent Raphael Collignon, who staged a clinical performance by limiting his unforced-error count to 13 against Shelton’s 27. He denied the American a single break point opportunity throughout the match.
Matteo Berrettini, meanwhile, produced some vintage tennis to book his place in the third round. The player, presently ranked No. 105, easily dismissed local favorite Arthur Rinderknech during Thursday’s evening session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Scores:
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo def. (1) Jannik Sinner: 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1
Raphael Collignon def. (5) Ben Shelton: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
Francisco Comesaña def. (14) Luciano Darderi: 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Alejandro Tabilo def. (16) Valentin Vacherot: w/o
Thiago Tirante def. (21) Alejandro Davidovic Fokina: 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-3
Matteo Berrettini def. (22) Arthur Rinderknech: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Quentin Halys def. (32) Ugo Humbert: 6-4, 7-6(4), 7-6(8)
MORE: 15 French Open Seeds, Including Jessica Pegula and Daniil Medvedev, Collapse in First Round
7 Women’s Seeds, Including Elena Rybakina, Knocked Out in French Open Round 2
On the women’s side, Rybakina’s was the most unexpected exit. She began the tournament as one of the top favorites, having won the Australian Open. She, however, couldn’t adjust her game well to the hot conditions. The World No. 2 ultimately suffered a loss of narrow margins to Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubseva in the deciding tiebreak.
American rising star Hailey Baptiste had a rather unfortunate exit. She was escorted out of the tournament in a wheelchair after injuring her left leg mid-match against China’s Wang Xiyu. According to reports, Baptiste is headed for surgery, missing the rest of the season.
Scores:
Yuliia Starodubtseva def. (2) Elena Rybakina: 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4)
Solana Sierra def. (13) Jasmine Paolini: 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Maja Chwalinska def. (23) Elise Mertens: 6-4, 6-0
Wang Xiyu def. (26) Hailey Baptiste: 5-4 (ret.)
Magda Linette def. (29) Jelena Ostapenko: 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
Diane Parry def. (30) Ann Li: 6-3, 6-4
Tamara Korpatsch def. (32) Wang Xinyu 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
On Friday, the Paris forecast is yet again unfavorable, although clouds are likely to provide players some respite from direct sunlight. The top seeds in action include Iga Świątek, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Mirra Andreeva.
