The champ' from Strasbourg

Forty-eight hours ago, Emma Navarro lifted her first clay-court trophy in Strasbourg. Five wins in five days, including a victory over Jovic and a final won against world No. 9 Mboko, 6-0 5-7 6-2. A title that feels like a rebirth for the 24-year-old player from Charleston, coached by Peter Ayers since the age of 15, who went through health issues at the start of the season that dragged her record down to 10–11 in 2026. A graduate of the University of Virginia, daughter of a billionaire businessman and granddaughter of Frank Navarro, a legendary American football coach, she nearly gave everything up this year before finding in Strasbourg the resources to bounce back. Career-high ranking of world No. 8 in 2024, US Open semifinalist, Wimbledon quarterfinalist. Round of 16 here in 2024, first round last year. She comes into Roland-Garros with momentum she hasn’t had for a year and a half.

Janice Tjen, 20 years old, ranked WTA No. 80, an Indonesian coached by her father, has shown some encouraging results on the secondary tour but has no real benchmark at the level of the players she will be facing here. Her qualifying run earned her a place in this main draw, but the step up in quality against a Navarro full of confidence is considerable.