Sloane Stephens's Roland Garros 2026 campaign features an entirely unfamiliar French Open path for the US tennis vet.
Due to a recent injury, Stephens's current WTA ranking sits at No. 361, forcing the 2018 finalist to battle through the preliminary rounds of the 2026 French Open for the first time in 15 years.
On Wednesday, she did just that, locking in her second straight-sets qualifying win in Paris by defeating Italy’s Lisa Pigato 6-4, 6-1. The win came after another routine 6-3, 6-2 opening victory over Carol Young Suh Lee.
Sloane Stephens Injury Spurs WTA Ranking Drop
A 2025 right-foot stress fracture originally sidelined Stephens, severely impacting her position on the WTA tour. Because of that rankings drop, she utilized a special protected entry to compete in this week's Roland Garros qualifiers.
However, Stephens embraced the climb as a fresh competitive challenge. She noted that playing through these early Grand Slam rounds offers a unique perspective at this stage of her career.
“It would be so easy to just walk away and quit now, but I think it’s just tennis,” Stephens said following her first qualifying win.
“It just kills you, it’s frustrating, and it’s difficult, and there’s a lot of adversity. In general, I’m here to prove to myself that my game is still there, that I can still play, that I’m still competitive. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Now, the 33-year-old stands just one match away from a spot in the main tournament draw. On Thursday, she faces Spain's Leyre Romero Gormaz in the French Open qualifiers final round.
