World No. 4 Coco Gauff is back on clay, defending her French Open crown on Sunday as the annual Grand Slam kicks off with an unpredictable main draw.
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Elena Rybakina, and No. 3 Iga Świątek headline the French Open field. However, players outside the WTA’s Top 5 won the last two tune-up tournaments — showcasing the tour’s depth.
“I realize that the defending means nothing in a way,” Gauff said this week. “Each year is a new opportunity and new chance for anyone to win.”
Players are making their voices heard by keeping quiet this year, as top stars launch a media protest intended to highlight revenue sharing concerns at Roland Garros.
Players will limit their media availability to 15 minutes, calling attention to the French Open’s 15% revenue share model. That's significantly below the 22% combined WTA and ATP tournament standard.
"With estimated revenues of over 400 million Euros for this year's tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events," the players said in a statement.
Where to Watch the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros
The French Open begins on Sunday at 5 AM ET, live on TNT.
San Diego Wave captain Kenza Dali wrapped her armband in black tape during Wednesday's San Diego Wave vs Houston Dash NWSL draw, honoring the shooting victims following Monday's attack at the Islamic Center mosque.
Dali's nod to the Islamic Center of San Diego came during the 2-2 draw at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Dudinha opened scoring for San Diego in the 20th minute, notching her fourth goal of the season off a pass from star rookie Lia Godfrey.
Houston rallied late as Kate Faasse scored her first professional goal in the 70th minute, before Kat Rader gave the Dash an 89th-minute lead. However, Trinity Byars equalized for San Diego in stoppage time to secure a point on the road.
Sophie Schmidt reached a milestone with her 150th regular season appearance, becoming just the third Canadian in NWSL history to hit that mark. Caroline DeLisle made her league debut after entering in the second half for the injured Jane Campbell.
Despite the draw, the midweek NWSL match still made headlines. That was thanks to Kenza Dali, whose captain's armband tribute to the San Diego mosque shooting victims served as a solemn dedication.
The Wave return to Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, hosting the Orlando Pride at 7 PM ET (Victory+).
WNBA star Breanna Stewart is making her voice heard, with the New York Liberty forward launching her Syracuse-focused Breanna Stewart Foundation one day after protesting Saturday's ICE shooting in Minneapolis on the Unrivaled 3×3 court.
First acknowledging the platform that basketball gave her, the Unrivaled co-founder said in her Monday social media post "my responsibility goes far beyond the game."
"This foundation starts where I'm from, Syracuse, and grows through New York because real impact has to begin at home," Stewart explained.
In partnership with Athletes for Impact, the Breanna Stewart Foundation aims to build "long-term, sustainable systems for women and youth in the community" to combat poverty through initiatives like healthcare services, education and mentoring opportunities, and sports programs.
The news came after Stewart held up a hand-written sign reading "Abolish ICE" during Sunday's Unrivaled introductions, with the Mist BC star calling attention to this month's fatal shootings at the hands of federal immigration agents in Minnesota.
"I wanted to have a simple message of 'Abolish ICE,' which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence," Stewart said after Mist BC's win.
"All day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news," she added. "It's scary.... You see it splitting up families and dissecting communities.... It's the worst in all ways."
"We're so fueled by hate right now instead of love."
WNBA star Breanna Stewart took a stand during Unrivaled introductions on Sunday, using her platform to protest the recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
Before the Mist tipped off against the Vinyl, Stewart walked onto the court at Sephora Arena holding a hand-drawn sign that read "Abolish ICE," drawing national attention to the fatal incident in Minnesota.
The protest follows the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, the US citizen and ICU nurse shot and killed by US Border Patrol agents in South Minneapolis on Saturday morning. The city’s second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents this month, the ICE shooting in Minneapolis has sparked unrest across the country and beyond.
After securing the Mist’s 76-71 victory, the 3×3 league co-founder addressed the demonstration in her postgame press conference.
"Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted," Stewart told reporters.
"We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of Abolish ICE, which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence."
The sports world responds to the ICE shooting in Minneapolis
The ICE shooting prompted widespread reactions across the sports world.
The Minnesota Timberwolves postponed their Saturday game against the Golden State Warriors, citing citywide protests and safety concerns. Other athletes, including Stewart’s fellow Unrivaled co-founder Napheesa Collier and Minnesota Lynx star Natisha Heideman, have also spoken out in support of the demonstrators.
For Stewart, the issue of immigration enforcement hits close to home. Her wife, Marta Xargay Casademont, is a Spanish citizen navigating the US citizenship process. Stewart noted that the recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis create a climate of fear for many families.
"You see it splitting up families and dissecting communities," she continued.
"We’re working to get [Xargay’s] citizenship, and she is a legal permanent resident and all of that. But it seems like it doesn’t matter. And I think that that's why these policies need to be put in place, that reform needs to happen. Because it doesn’t seem to be affecting the right people. It’s not helping anybody."
Federal authorities said ICE agents were conducting a "targeted operation" and claimed the victim was armed. However, local reports and bystander accounts challenge the administration’s timeline.
Ticket prices are skyrocketing across the WNBA, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressing the surge after several New York Liberty fans wore T-shirts in protest of the increase.
Donning orange shirts emblazoned with the phrase "We've been priced out," New York fans came together to express their frustrations at a recent game.
The WNBA fans' custom shirts referred to season ticket price jumps of more than 250%, saying the Liberty is asking upwards of $30,000 for 2026 renewals.
Some New York season ticket holders noted that their 2026 renewal more than triples the cost they paid for the team's 2024 championship-winning campaign.
The exponential increase isn't just occurring in the New York market, however — it points to an overall rise in ticket prices across the WNBA.
The WNBA's recent ticket surge has seen seats across the league jumping by an average cost increase of 43% in the last year alone.
"In order to fund all these investments that owners are making, and obviously paying the players more which we will do in this next CBA cycle…that's the reality," Engelbert said on Thursday's episode of In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams. "That's our responsibility as a league and team owners."
Calling the price hikes a result of "simple economics" and "high demand," Engelbert acknowledged the effect on fans, though did not address potential solutions.
"I realize there's some concern out there, certainly that we don't price out our kind of core fan base," she noted.