Bianca Andreescu wins Roland-Garros qualifier

Bianca Andreescu opened her Roland-Garros qualifying campaign with a straight-sets win on Tuesday, beating 17-year-old French wildcard Daphnee Mpetshi-Perricard 6-3, 6-2 in Paris. After the match, Andreescu crossed back toward the sideline and consoled Mpetshi-Perricard, who was in tears after her first appearance on the WTA Tour this year, according to Olympics.com. (olympics.com) The result put Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, one step closer to the main draw at a tournament that runs from May 24 to June 7. (olympics.com) Roland-Garros said the women’s qualifying draw included former major champions and former top-10 players, with Andreescu among the best-known names trying to play their way into the field. (usatoday.com) ### Who did Andreescu beat in Paris? Daphnee Mpetshi-Perricard entered the event as a wildcard, was making her first WTA Tour appearance of 2026 and came in ranked No. 811, according to Olympics.com. The French teenager briefly rallied with three straight games in the first set, but Andreescu’s power and control carried her through in two sets. (olympics.com) Roland-Garros’ official match page listed the contest as a first-round women’s qualifying match and confirmed the 6-3, 6-2 scoreline. The tournament’s highlights page said Andreescu, seeded No. 25 in qualifying, finished the match in 1 hour 40 minutes. ### Why was the post-match moment noticed? Olympics.com reported that Andreescu first acknowledged the crowd and then noticed Mpetshi-Perricard crying at the side of the court. (olympics.com) The Canadian walked over to offer comfort after the handshake, turning a routine qualifying result into one of the early off-court moments of the week in Paris. The exchange also came in a match between players at very different stages. (olympics.com) Andreescu is 25 and a former world No. 4, while Mpetshi-Perricard is 17 and only beginning to appear at this level, according to Olympics.com’s report and athlete profile material. (rolandgarros.com) ### Why is Andreescu in qualifying at all? Bianca Andreescu returned to Grand Slam qualifying this week as part of a longer climb back after injuries disrupted recent seasons. Roland-Garros said Tuesday’s win was another step in her return to “top-flight competition” and noted that she missed the Australian Open in January while playing a lower-level event in Bradenton, Florida. (olympics.com) Roland-Garros also identified Andreescu as one of several high-profile names in qualifying rather than the main draw. The tournament preview listed former U.S. Open champions Andreescu and Sloane Stephens, along with former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, among the notable players trying to qualify. (olympics.com) ### What does this say about the French Open field this week? The 2026 French Open runs from May 24 to June 7, with the main draw scheduled to be announced on Thursday, May 21, according to USA Today. On the men’s side, USA Today reported that Carlos Alcaraz is out of the field because of injury, while Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are among the leading names ahead of the tournament. (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros’ event page said competition in Paris began with qualifying on May 18 and continues through the championship weekend in early June. Andreescu’s next match will determine whether she can move within one win of the main draw before organizers reveal the full bracket on Thursday. (olympics.com) (usatoday.com) (rolandgarros.com)