Day 2 at Roland-Garros 2026 is loaded with first-timers, legends in their final stretch, and top seeds facing matchups shaped by pressure—and by the slow, forgiving tempo of clay.
Monday’s order of play sets the tone for Day 2 at Roland-Garros 2026, with women’s and men’s singles matchups crossing paths in a familiar Paris theme: pressure feels different here, and clay turns it into something you can actually see.
The spotlight on Court Suzanne-Lenglen begins with a newcomer’s story that’s moving fast. Rakotomanga made her debut on the WTA Tour last year, arriving with a ranking of No.349. She ended the year with the Sao Paulo title, and she now sits at No.123—currently ranked No.153. Originally from Madagascar, she now trains in Toulouse and plays under the French flag.
On Monday, the question is whether her momentum can carry her past a player with history at this tournament. Beating Anisimova—who was the semifinalist here in 2019 and later went on to be runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year—would be a huge ask. But Rakotomanga has already done something many first-year players only dream about: she won her first title in her first year.
She says she’s trying to take the best parts of champions she admires and make them her own. Looking for “the best from the best,” the 20-year-old turns to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
“Rafa, I really like his spirit and his attitude on court,” she explained. “That’s something I’ve tried to take from him. And I really like Federer’s game. I wanted my game to be clear and to have the class of Federer and the attitude of Nadal.”
Clay is central to that plan. Rakotomanga likes the pace because it gives her time to shape the rally instead of chasing it. “R have time,” she said. “That’s it. I have time to put my game into place.”
Her opponent enters the matchup with a physical storyline of her own: if Anisimova’s wrist is in good shape and she can hit through the court with her usual power. the world No.6 should be in the driving seat. If it isn’t—and if clay gives Sarah the time she loves—then the match could turn into a tense. fascinating battle.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier, Iga Swiatek faces Emerson Jones in the first match scheduled for the day. Swiatek’s Roland-Garros record is hard to ignore: four titles in seven appearances, plus a semifinal finish last year. Still. there’s a sense that something has shifted since the sharp dominance she displayed between 2020 and 2024. when she seemed to soak up titles during the clay swing and arrive in Paris as the all-conquering force.
These days, she still wins—but she also looks like a player carrying more human frailties, just not many. Whether 17-year-old Emerson Jones can expose any of them is unclear. Jones comes from an athletic family: she is the daughter of Loretta Harrop. the triathlon silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics. and Brad Jones. a former AFL footballer. That background gives her strong genes for high-level sport. but the experience gap may be the biggest unknown when a four-time Roland-Garros champion is across the net.
Court Simonne-Mathieu hosts a second match pairing Stan Wawrinka against Jesper De Jong. “Stan the Man” is another player to watch while you can. Like Gael Monfils. Wawrinka is playing his last year on tour. and returning to Paris—where he won three Grand Slam singles titles. with the other two coming in Australia and the US—feels especially meaningful.
For Wawrinka, it’s not just the occasion. He’s “going to miss the pressure and the nerves that go with being here,” rather than anything else. He also has a different understanding of what that pressure does to the body. He said: “When you have a lot of people. big public like here in Roland-Garros. it brings in a lot of stress. ‘Good stress, and also stress that is difficult to manage. This is probably what I will miss most, because I know these are emotions I won’t find anywhere else.”.
He learned to handle those pressures and it’s helped him win Grand Slams. Even at 41, he knows adding another title is likely beyond him. But the knowledge—especially the know-how to control feelings—could still matter in the emotions of today and beyond.
Later on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the second match brings Elina Svitolina against Anna Bondar. Svitolina arrives in Paris fresh from winning her 20th career title in Rome, a victory that brings confidence and motivation. But her mind also runs in two directions at once: she is coming to be with her husband. Gael Monfils. as he plays for the last time here and bids an emotional farewell to the tournament.
“I just want him to play well here,” she said. “I want to enjoy with him, you know, this last Roland-Garros journey. Yeah, just be there for him.”
Still, Svitolina isn’t pretending the tournament itself isn’t in her grasp. After beating Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff to win in Rome, she knows she’s now fully in the mix of favourites to win here too.
And that’s the tightrope shaping Day 2: rising players trying to translate belief into results on clay, established stars balancing nerves with control, and legends negotiating their final farewell under the weight of a crowd that makes everything feel louder at Roland-Garros.
Roland-Garros 2026 Day 2 Rakotomanga Anisimova Iga Swiatek Emerson Jones Stan Wawrinka Jesper De Jong Elina Svitolina Anna Bondar Gael Monfils clay court