Sabalenka and Gauff touted for title run, Rybakina and Swiatek not in contention: Querrey and Austin pick favourites for Roland Garros title

The Rome Open is the last WTA 1000 tournament before Roland Garros commences. Many players will have their eyes and hearts set on a deep run in Paris, but only a select few have been touted to win the thing. Sam Querrey and Tracy Austin ranked their favourites for the second major title in 2026.

It is set to be a fascinating and intriguing tournament. Already a range of players have shown their title credentials. Elena Rybakina took home the first big one at the Australian Open against world number one Aryna Sabalenka. The Middle East swing saw Karolina Muchova and Jessica Pegula taste glory in Qatar and Dubai, with Sabalenka turning up the heat in the Sunshine swing.

The clay swing is a very jam-packed period. A number of big tournaments lead to Roland Garros. The Madrid Open was a chance for the top players to send a statement of intent, but Mirra Andreeva was the only top 10 player to reach the semi-final stage. An inform Marta Kostyuk took home a maiden WTA 1000 title at Caja Magica but will not compete in Rome. Another chance at Foro Italico has emerged for a big title and some great momentum heading to the second Grand Slam on the WTA calendar.

Querrey and Austin were tasked to pick out their favourites for the title. The usual names were involved, but Querrey began with an outside shot for the title. "This was tough, especially after last week and the semi-finalists we had in Madrid," he said on the Tennis Channel.

"My No. 4 is last week’s champion, Marta Kostyuk. How can you not put her at No. 4, right? She won last week and also the previous week, and it’s the way she played—she ran through the draw and has been amazing." There was some caution around this pick. "That said, she’s never been past the fourth round at Roland Garros or a quarter-final in a major, but still—she’s No. 4 for me."

Just behind her was the Madrid Open runner-up. "At No. 3, I have the player she beat in the final, Mirra Andreeva. She’s been a bit more consistent on clay over the years, pretty much a regular top-10 player, and she has 12 wins on clay this year, plus a title in Linz."

The reigning champion was next on Querrey's list. "At No. 2, I’ve got last year’s defending champion, Coco Gauff. Her results have been a bit inconsistent, but she had a strong run in Miami and I still think clay is her best surface."

Gauff defeated Sabalenka in that final last year. Querrey believes the script will flip this year and that Belarusian will go into it as the favourite. "At No. 1, it has to be Aryna Sabalenka," he stated. "She’s been world No. 1 for a while now and dominant across all surfaces. She didn’t win Roland Garros last year, but that final—especially in those windy conditions—was a battle. I still see her as the favourite."

There were some notable absentees on Querrey's list. That included four-time champion Iga Swiatek and world number two Rybakina. These were the first picks on Austin's list.

"I’m putting Iga Świątek at No. 4—even though it’s unusual," she admitted. "She hasn’t made a semi-final since September, so she’s been losing earlier than expected. But she’s won Roland Garros four times and Rome three times. She also has a new coach, Francisco Roig, so maybe things will start to click. When you return to a place where you’ve won four times, you can get that feeling back quickly."

The Australian Open champion came next. "At No. 3, I have Elena Rybakina. People forget she’s won here in Rome before. She already has 27 match wins this year and also won Stuttgart on clay, beating Andreeva in straight sets and also defeating Karolína Muchová."

The former world number one actually agreed with her compatriot for the top two picks. "Coco Gauff moves so well on clay. She can generate heavy topspin on her forehand and force errors, and her movement is a huge advantage. As for Aryna Sabalenka, I think she’s an even better player this year. Last year, she lost that final mentally in tough conditions, but she’s improved in that area."