Roland-Garros 2026: Solana Sierra Stuns Paolini as Seeds Fall in Paris

Sierra ends Paolini’s Paris defense

No.13 Paolini out after Solana Sierra comeback. Sorana Cirstea wins 11 straight games vs Eva Lys. Mirra Andreeva through, Hailey Baptiste injured. Second-round results and analysis.

Roland-Garros 2026, Day of shocks and statements Sierra stuns Paolini, Cirstea cruises, Baptiste’s heartbreak...

The second round in Paris delivered everything we love about Grand Slams: fearless underdogs, ruthless veterans, and the cruel side of sport. With No. 2 Elena Rybakina already out, Wednesday saw another top seed fall as Jasmine Paolini’s title defense hopes ended at the hands of a rising Argentine. Here’s how the drama unfolded.

Solana Sierra dethrones Paolini in three-set thriller: 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

A year after becoming the first lucky loser to reach the Wimbledon fourth round, Solana Sierra proved she’s no fluke. The 21-year-old from Mar del Plata faced 2024 Roland-Garros finalist and world No. 13 Jasmine Paolini on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and turned the tournament on its head.  

Paolini looked in control early, taking the first set 6-3 and breaking immediately for 2-0 in the second. But Sierra’s response was pure clay-court grit. Raising her level from the baseline and finding depth with her forehand, the world No. 68 clawed back to take the second 6-4.  

The decider stayed tight until Sierra’s power and aggression overwhelmed the Italian. After 2 hours 10 minutes, Sierra closed it 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.  

It’s another milestone for Sierra, who hit a career-high No. 62 after reaching R4 in Madrid and R3 in Rome this spring. She now faces No. 18 Sorana Cirstea for a place in the second week.  

Sorana Cirstea’s statement win: 6-3, 6-0 over Eva Lys in 1:08

If Sierra vs Paolini was chaos, Cirstea vs Lys was clinical. The Romanian semi-finalist in Rome came in trailing 1-3, then flipped a switch. Cirstea won the final 11 games of the match, closing out German Eva Lys 6-3, 6-0 in just 1 hour 8 minutes.  

That sends Cirstea to the third round at Roland-Garros for the 6th time, and first since her R16 run in 2021. Lys started well with two breaks and a 3-1 lead, but Cirstea’s end-of-set surge was brutal: Lys couldn’t find the court in the last service game, ending the first set with a double fault.  

Through in ✌️@sorana_cirstea displays a dominant performance in Paris defeating Lys in straights!#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/7j64n6KRK5

— wta (@WTA) May 27, 2026

Mirra Andreeva keeps her Paris streak alive: 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 vs Marina Bassols Ribera

No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva had to work for it, but the 19-year-old Russian will play the third round here for the fourth consecutive year. After dropping the first set 3-6 to Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera, Andreeva reset and dominated 6-1, 6-1. 

 

Mirra Andreeva dug deep and got the job done ✅ #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/kjq5AIGmJc

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2026

Next up: No. 27 Marie Bouzkova, who beat Francesca Jones 6-0, 7-6. Andreeva’s consistency in Paris is becoming a pattern – semifinalist last year, and now 3-0 in second rounds since 2023.  

Heartbreak for Hailey Baptiste: retirement vs Wang Xiyu

The day’s most gut-wrenching moment came late in the first set on Court 6. No. 26 Hailey Baptiste, fresh off a huge win over 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova, collapsed with a left leg injury while trailing 4-5 against China’s Wang Xiyu, ranked 148th and a qualifier.  

Baptiste injured her leg when she fell and was unable to continue. Medical staff evacuated her from the court in a wheelchair. It’s a cruel end to a breakthrough clay season that included a Madrid semifinal and a win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.  

Wang Xiyu advances to R3 via retirement at 5-4, where she’ll face Yuliia Starodubtseva – the Ukrainian who earlier upset Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-1, 7-6.  

Other notable results

Karolina Muchova (No. 10) def. Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-2

Muchova was all business against Rakhimova, who had earned her first Roland-Garros main-draw win by beating Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The Czech, a finalist here in 2023, moves on after a straight-sets win. Rakhimova, competing for Uzbekistan after switching nationality in Dec 2025, pushed Muchova in Rome earlier this spring but couldn’t find answers today.  

Paris round 2 ✅#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/A0NUm9oJuW

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2026

The bracket impact

With Rybakina (No. 2) and Paolini (No. 13) out, the bottom half opens up. Sierra vs Cirstea becomes a must-watch R3: youth and firepower vs experience and form. Andreeva-Bouzkova is a rematch of their Adelaide clash where Andreeva won 11 of the last 12 games.  

What it means 1. Sierra is real:

 Wimbledon 2025 wasn’t a one-off. Beating Raducanu then Paolini in Paris shows she belongs. Argentina has a new star. 2. Cirstea’s resurgence: At 36, the Romanian is playing some of her best tennis. That 11-game run vs Lys was vintage clay-court bullying. 3. The injury bug: Baptiste’s exit joins Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal as major blows. Clay is unforgiving.   

Roland-Garros thrives on days like this - where rankings mean little and the next star can announce herself in 2 hours. Solana Sierra has the stage. Let’s see what she does with it.

Next up in R3: Sierra vs Cirstea, Andreeva vs Bouzkova, Wang Xiyu vs Starodubtseva.