While the women’s tournament hasn’t remained completely immune from upsets highlighting the men’s draw at Roland Garros, a stack of stars remain in contention for the title after the first week.
Prior to Roland Garros, ausopen.com previewed the women’s event, spotlighting nine players who shaped as the leading contenders to triumph in Paris.
Five of them remain as fourth-round action begins on Sunday in the French capital.
One of those is world No.1 and last year’s finalist Aryna Sabalenka, who despite a compromised lead-up and some scratchy play during the first week has reached this point without losing a set.
Her win over Daria Kasatkina set up a blockbuster fourth-round showing with Naomi Osaka, who overcame Iva Jovic in a brilliant third-round spectacle earlier on Saturday.
Both four-time Grand Slam champions, Sabalenka and Osaka will meet for the third time in 2026, and for the first time on clay.
“I feel like the last [one] in Madrid was, really tight match, was great level. She really stepped in and raised her level in the last match,” said Sabalenka, who beat Osaka in three sets in Madrid after dominating their Indian Wells match-up in March.
“It's great to see her back on her level. Maybe not at her best level, but she's back, she's fighting, she's building her level. It's nice to see her. She's a great player, great person.
“I feel like I really enjoy our battles. It's high-level matches, and I really enjoy when somebody push me to the limit.”
As Sabalenka took another step toward a sixth Grand Slam final from her past seven majors, Osaka had never passed the third round in eight previous trips to Paris.
Yet after fourth-round finishes in Madrid and Rome, and a run of good physical health, Osaka feels different during this Roland Garros campaign.
“In the past, I'd usually get injured in Stuttgart… then I'd kind of like hobble my way over to this tournament,” she explained.
“I have been feeling pretty good. Obviously I got injured in Australia, and then the Sunshine Swing wasn't the greatest for me. I really wanted to make it a goal to do really well on clay and grass. I don't want this to be my last round – I want to keep going.
“I think I'm just a lot calmer now. I feel like in the previous years I just wanted it so much. And now, obviously I do want it, but I accept that it's a process, and maybe it will eventually come and maybe it won't.
“I just have to enjoy it while it lasts.”
Iga Swiatek v Marta Kostyuk
The other match jumping out from the slate of fourth-round clashes is the one pitting four-time French champion Iga Swiatek against the red-hot Marta Kostyuk, who has built a 15-match winning streak after claycourt titles in Rouen and Madrid.
Kostyuk has faced Swiatek three times previously without winning a set, but is a player transformed who stands one victory away from her first quarterfinal in Paris.
“Very excited for this match. I wanted to play her in a while,” said Kostyuk, who’s only previous run to the last 16 at Roland Garros, in 2021, was ended by Swiatek.
“She loves to play here, obviously, but I have every chance. I'm an underdog in this match, for sure. I'm gonna go out there and enjoy it as much as I can.
“I definitely have a different feeling going into this match, because I feel like last time that I played her in Cincinnati [in 2024], I lost this match way before it even started, and I don't feel the same this time.”
Wins for Sabalenka and Swiatek – in opposite halves of the draw – would put both a step closer to an elusive meeting in a Grand Slam final.
Sabalenka’s chances improved on Saturday when defending champion Coco Gauff, who beat the world No.1 in three gritty sets in the 2025 final, exited to Anastasia Potapova.
“She’s so much better than I thought she was,” The Tennis Podcast’s Catherine Whitaker said of 28th seed Potapova, to which co-host Matt Roberts added: “She’s so much better than she’s ever been.”
While not among the nine contenders ausopen.com spotlighted in its preview, Potapova was one of the form players entering the event after reaching the Linz final, the Madrid semis, and the fourth round in Rome as a qualifier.
Facing No.22 seed Anna Kalinskaya next, she enters that match-up having won 17 of her past 21 matches on clay.
For Swiatek, Elina Svitolina looms in the quarterfinals, a player like fellow Ukrainian Kostyuk is enjoying an impressive win streak.
Svitolina beat Swiatek en route to the Rome title and after surviving a tough opener in Paris against Ana Bondar, has won her past six sets.
She faces 11th seed Belinda Bencic, hoping to extend her winning streak to 10 matches and reach her sixth Roland Garros quarterfinal.
ELINA SVITOLINA: In a special place at Roland Garros
Another top performer is Mirra Andreeva, the 18-year-old who has quietly progressed to the last 16.
Andreeva earned the most points on clay this season in the build-up to Roland Garros and will play for a third consecutive quarterfinal in Paris against resurgent Swiss Jil Teichmann.
As well as Sabalenka, Swiatek and Osaka, Madison Keys is the other Grand Slam champion among the 16 women remaining, and got to this point by upstaging No.9 seed Victoria Mboko.
Following the exit of reigning AO champion and world No.2 Elena Rybakina in round two, the player looking likeliest to emerge from that segment is 18th seed Sorana Cirstea.
The 36-year-old Romanian is enjoying a career-best season – one she has said will be her last on tour – and faces Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu for a place in her second Roland Garros quarterfinal, 17 years after her first.