Former major champions Bianca Andreescu and Sloane Stephens enter Roland‑Garros qualifying

Roland-Garros released its 2026 qualifying draws on Sunday, putting two former U.S. Open champions — Bianca Andreescu and Sloane Stephens — into the women’s field for a place in the main draw. The official tournament site said qualifying began at 10 a.m. local time on Monday, May 18, at Porte d’Auteuil in Paris. Main-draw singles play is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 24, according to the tournament’s Opening Week schedule. The women’s qualifying event includes 128 players competing for 16 spots in the main draw, the tournament said. ### Which former major champions are trying to qualify in Paris? Sloane Stephens and Bianca Andreescu are the two former Grand Slam singles champions highlighted by Roland-Garros in this year’s women’s qualifying draw. The tournament’s official preview, published Sunday, listed Stephens, Andreescu and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova among the best-known names seeking a return to main-draw play in Paris. (rolandgarros.com) Stephens won the 2017 U.S. Open and was runner-up at Roland-Garros in 2018. Andreescu won the 2019 U.S. Open and is appearing in Grand Slam qualifying again as she works back up the rankings. Roland-Garros described both as headline names in the field. ### Who did Andreescu draw in the first round? Bianca Andreescu drew French wildcard Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of qualifying, according to the official Roland-Garros match listing and the tournament’s qualifying preview. (rolandgarros.com) The official site identified Andreescu as the No. 25 seed in the qualifying bracket. The tournament’s women’s qualifying preview said Andreescu, 25, lost in the second round of qualifying in Paris last year and has climbed during the 2026 season. (rolandgarros.com) That preview also said she won a title in Bradenton, Florida, in January and reached a WTA 125 final in Austin, Texas, in March. ### Who is Stephens scheduled to play? (rolandgarros.com) Sloane Stephens is scheduled to open against fellow American Carol Young Suh Lee, not Gabriela Lee, according to Roland-Garros’ official qualifying preview published Sunday. The same preview identified Stephens as one of the former major champions in the draw. Roland-Garros’ women’s qualifying feature also pointed to Stephens’ clay-court record in Paris, saying the American was runner-up in 2018 and owns a 35-13 career main-draw record at the tournament. (rolandgarros.com) That record applies to her main-draw history, while this week she must come through qualifying to reach the 2026 singles field. ### How large is the qualifying event, and when are matches played? (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros said 128 women and 128 men are competing during Opening Week for 16 qualifying places in each singles draw. The official schedule page shows women’s and men’s qualifying running from Monday, May 18, through Friday, May 22. The same Opening Week guide said the singles draws for the main event will be made on Thursday, May 21, before first-round main-draw action starts on Sunday, May 24. (rolandgarros.com) The tournament runs through June 7. ### What else stands out in the women’s qualifying field? Karolina Pliskova is also in the women’s qualifying draw, giving the field another former top-ranked player alongside Andreescu and Stephens. (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros said Martina Trevisan and Tamara Zidansek, both former Roland-Garros semifinalists, are also among the notable names in qualifying. The official site framed the field as unusually strong for qualifying, with former champions, former top-10 players and younger prospects all starting play on Monday. That assessment came from Roland-Garros’ own preview coverage published before the first balls were struck. ### What happens next for these players? (rolandgarros.com) Monday’s first-round qualifying matches are the first step in a three-round qualifying event that ends on May 22. Players who win through the week will move into the main draw that begins on May 24, with Andreescu facing Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard and Stephens scheduled against Carol Young Suh Lee in their openers. (rolandgarros.com 1) (rolandgarros.com 2)