Press releases

20 May 2026

Sasnovich one win away from Roland Garros main draw

Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Photo courtesy of the NOC of Belarus

MINSK, 20 May (BelTA) – Belarusian tennis player Aliaksandra Sasnovich reached the qualifying final of the season’s second Grand Slam tournament – the French Open, BelTA has learned.

In her second-round clash, the Belarusian swept past France’s Oceane Dodin, 6-1, 6-0, in just 50 minutes. Aliaksandra Sasnovich opened her campaign with a straight-sets victory over American Whitney Osuigwe, 6-4, 6-3. In the final round of qualifiers for the Roland Garros main draw, the Belarusian will face Spain’s Marina Bassols Ribera.

Two other Belarusian players bowed out of the tournament following their first-round qualifying encounters. Iryna Shymanovich fell to Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja, 4-6, 0-6, and Aliona Falei likewise suffered a straight-sets defeat against Italian Lisa Pigato, 1-6, 3-6.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will start her French Open run in the Round of 128 against a qualifier. In 2025, Sabalenka reached the Roland Garros final, where she lost to Coco Gauff of the USA. The 2026 French Open total prize money will reach a record-breaking €61.7 million, guaranteeing €2.8 million for both the men’s and women’s singles champions.