The women’s draw at the 2026 French Open was thrown into complete chaos Thursday after Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini were both eliminated before the third round at Roland Garros.
What looked like one of the deepest and most dangerous quarters in the entire tournament suddenly collapsed in a matter of hours, leaving Mirra Andreeva and Karolina Muchova staring at a massive opportunity in the bottom half of the draw.
Rybakina, the No. 2 seed and one of the tournament favorites, fell to Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in one of the biggest upsets of the week.
A short time later, Paolini joined her on the exit line after losing to Solana Sierra 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The two results completely changed the outlook of a quarter that had been loaded with experience, firepower, and dangerous matchups from top to bottom.
Read on for the full 2026 French Open Women’s singles second round upsets, and what to look forward to in the third round.
Stop chasing points. Start following the Gold Standard of performance metrics with Phil’s expert analysis and tactical data.
Wednesday’s Results From The Women’s Bottom Half
- Yuliia Starodubtseva def. Elena Rybakina (2) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
- Solana Sierra def. Jasmine Paolini (13) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
- Iga Swiatek def. Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3
- Elina Svitolina def. Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4
- Mirra Andreeva (8) def. Marina Bassols Ribera 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
- Karolina Muchova (10) def. Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2
- Belinda Bencic def. Catherine McNally 6-4, 6-0
- Marta Kostyuk def. Katie Volynets 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3
- Sorana Cirstea (18) def. Eva Lys 6-3, 6-0
- Wang Xiyu advanced after Hailey Baptiste retired
- Marie Bouzkova (27) def. Francesca Jones 6-0, 7-6(3)
- Magda Linette def. Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
- Wang Xinyu def. Tamara Korpatsch 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
- Jil Teichmann def. Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-4
- Viktorija Golubic def. Alycia Parks 6-2, 6-2
- Peyton Stearns def. Daria Snigur 6-4, 6-0
Only a few days ago, this quarter looked brutal.
Elena Rybakina’s power, Jasmine Paolini’s consistency, Karolina Muchova’s variety, and Mirra Andreeva’s rising confidence made this one of the most unpredictable sections in the entire women’s draw.
Now, several of the biggest names in the 2026 French Open are already gone before the tournament has even reached the second week.
The Top Of The Quarter Still Looks Dangerous
While the bottom portion of the quarter completely fell apart, the top half still contains several dangerous names led by Andreeva and Muchova.
Andreeva suddenly looks like one of the biggest beneficiaries of the chaos after the early exits of Paolini and Rybakina. What once looked like a brutal road to the semifinals now feels dramatically more manageable for the rising Russian star.
Muchova also remains one of the most dangerous floaters left in the draw after surviving Thursday’s chaos and advancing past Rakhimova. Her all-court game, variety and experience continue to make her a major threat in Paris.
Marie Bouzkova and Jil Teichmann also continue advancing through the upper portion of the section.
Bottom Half Of The Draw Third Round Matches
Swiatek Quarter
- Iga Swiatek vs. Jaqueline Cristian
- Elina Svitolina vs. Bernarda Pera
- Belinda Bencic vs. Clara Tauson
- Marta Kostyuk vs. Donna Vekic
Rybakina/Paolini Quarter
- Mirra Andreeva vs. Marie Bouzkova
- Sorana Cirstea vs. Solana Sierra
- Yuliia Starodubtseva vs. Wang Xiyu
- Karolina Muchova vs. Jil Teichmann
That is what now makes the bottom half of the women’s draw so fascinating.
This is no longer about surviving one dangerous seed after another.
Now it is about who can take advantage of the opening before a possible semifinal collision with Iga Swiatek, Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic or Marta Kostyuk.
Swiatek’s path also appears far more stable after Jelena Ostapenko was eliminated earlier in the tournament.
Ostapenko had consistently troubled the Polish star in previous meetings and was viewed by many as one of the most dangerous threats in Swiatek’s portion of the draw.
Now a potential Swiatek-Svitolina quarterfinal suddenly feels very realistic as the women’s bottom half begins to take shape heading into the third round in Paris.
Because after two rounds of carnage, one thing is now very clear:
The women’s draw at Roland Garros suddenly looks completely different.
2026 French Open Intelligence Hub
Draw breakdowns, betting guides, ATP and WTA entry lists, rankings, futures analysis, and live tournament coverage from Roland Garros.
Men’s Draw Women’s Draw Betting Guide
Phil Naessens is a tennis betting analyst and former tennis coach with decades of experience in player development and match analysis. He is the founder of Crush Rush News and host of the Crush & Rush Tennis Podcast, focusing on price-first betting strategy, market efficiency, and transparency in sports wagering.
