Day 4 at Roland-Garros 2026 belonged to the upset. Second seed and 2023 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was stunned in three sets by Yuliia Starodubtseva — the biggest shock of the tournament so far, and the leg that knocked over yesterday’s Day 4 acca. Novak Djokovic, Iga Świątek and Alexander Zverev all came through to keep the bottom half on script. Day 5 brings the top half into second-round action: Jannik Sinner chases a 31st straight win against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Coco Gauff headline the women’s draw, and Katie Boulter carries Britain’s last singles hope on court today. Below: yesterday’s results, today’s order of play, our best bets and the Day 5 acca.
For the full draw and projected paths, see our 2026 Roland-Garros draw analysis. For British coverage, our Britain at Roland-Garros 2026 tracker. For outright markets, our French Open 2026 outright tips and women’s tips. Catching up? Read yesterday’s Day 4 article.
Day 4 Results: Rybakina Stunned, Djokovic and Świątek Cruise
The bottom-half R2 brought the day’s biggest shock: No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina was beaten 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) by Yuliia Starodubtseva, the highest seed to fall at the tournament so far. Elsewhere the seeds held: Novak Djokovic dropped a tiebreak set but moved past French wildcard Valentin Royer, Iga Świątek tidied up Sara Bejlek in straight sets, and Alexander Zverev was clinical under the lights against Tomáš Macháč. Britain’s Fran Jones exited to 27th seed Marie Bouzková. (Our Day 4 acca won three legs but came up short on the Rybakina leg.)
| Match | Result | Score |
| Starodubtseva d. Rybakina (2) | UPSET — 2-seed out | 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) |
| Djokovic (3) d. Royer (FR) | Through — dropped a set | 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(7), 6-3 |
| Świątek (3) d. Bejlek | Through — routine | 6-2, 6-3 |
| Zverev (2) d. Macháč | Through — straight sets | 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 |
| Svitolina (7) | Through | — |
| Bouzková (27) d. Fran Jones | British exit | 3 sets |
Day 5 Order of Play: Top Half R2
The second round of the top half. World No.1 Sinner opens Chatrier against an Argentine clay-courter; defending women’s champion Gauff headlines Suzanne-Lenglen; Boulter is on Court 6 for Britain’s last singles match in Paris.
| Court / Session | Match | Round |
| Chatrier (day) | Jannik Sinner (1) v Juan Manuel Cerúndolo — opens the session | R2 |
| Chatrier (day) | Aryna Sabalenka (1) v Elsa Jacquemot (FR) — third up | R2 |
| Chatrier (night) | Arthur Rinderknech v Matteo Berrettini | R2 |
| Suzanne-Lenglen | Coco Gauff (4) v Mayar Sherif; Ben Shelton also on | R2 |
| Simonne-Mathieu | Félix Auger-Aliassime (4); Victoria Mboko (9 WTA); Naomi Osaka v Donna Vekic | R2 |
| Court 6 (British interest) | Katie Boulter v Anastasia Potapova (28) | R2 |
French Open Day 5 Best Bets
Sinner to beat Cerúndolo
The day’s headline. Jannik Sinner arrives on a 30-match winning streak — the fifth-longest of the ATP era — having beaten Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 in R1 without hitting his ceiling. Juan Manuel Cerúndolo is a clay specialist (he beat Jacob Fearnley in R1) but the gap is enormous on best-of-five against the world No.1. Tip: Sinner to win (around 1/20).
Sabalenka R2 banker
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka dropped just one game to Bouzas Maneiro in R1. French wildcard Elsa Jacquemot is a clay-courter but ranked outside the top 80; on Chatrier in front of a partisan crowd she will need a near-perfect day. Sabalenka is the clear favourite and the kind of leg you want in an acca. Tip: Sabalenka to win (around 1/10).
Gauff to beat Sherif
Defending champion Coco Gauff headlines Suzanne-Lenglen against Egypt’s Mayar Sherif. Gauff brushed Taylor Townsend aside in straight sets in R1 and is in form after a deep clay swing; Sherif is a battler but ranked outside the top 60. Tip: Gauff to win (around 1/8).
French Open Day 5 Acca
Four short-priced top-half R2 favourites, combined into one slip:
| Leg | Selection | Approx Odds |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner to win | 1/20 |
| 2 | Aryna Sabalenka to win | 1/10 |
| 3 | Coco Gauff to win | 1/8 |
| 4 | Félix Auger-Aliassime to win | 1/4 |
Combined: around 6/4. All four are top-10 seeds in R2 against lower-ranked opposition; the live leg is Auger-Aliassime, who survived a five-set scare in R1. Build the acca with new-customer free bets via the Paddy Power Bet £5 Get £40 welcome offer — paid as £40 in free bets valid for 30 days, ideal for tennis multiples.
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More Roland-Garros 2026 Coverage
Full cluster: Roland-Garros 2026 hub | tournament preview | draw analysis | Britain at Roland-Garros | outright tips | women’s tips | each-way value | acca builder.
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