2026 Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge
The road to Paris began in late March for Americans competing in the USTA's 2026 Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge.
Based on results from clay-court tournaments across five weeks from March 30 to May 3, the Challenge awards an American man and woman a main-draw singles wild card to the French Open.
Follow along below for weekly standings updates.
The wild cards will be granted to the American players who earn the most ranking points—including qualifying and main-draw points—at a maximum of three clay-court tournaments during the five-week window. All red clay and Har-Tru events at the W35 level and above for the women and the M25 level and above for the men, including WTA and ATP Tour events, will be included in the Challenge.
Americans who otherwise earn direct entry into the French Open, or those who have a protected ranking with which to enter the main draw, are not eligible. Should the player with the highest number of challenge points earn direct entry into the French Open, the wild card will go to the next eligible American in the Challenge points standings. In the event of a tie, the player with the best ATP or WTA singles ranking on Monday, May 4, will earn the wild card.
The USTA and FFT have a reciprocal agreement in which main draw wild cards for the 2026 French Open and US Open will be exchanged. The USTA utilizes this Challenge format to award wild cards into the Australian, French and US Opens.
Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.
Standings Update (April 6)
Nineteen-year-old Akasha Urhobo and 23-year-old Dali Blanch are the leaders of the USTA's Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge after its first of five weeks.
Urhobo, who has won two USTA Pro Circuit W35 singles titles already this year, leads the women's standings after qualifying and winning her first WTA-level match last week at the WTA 500 in Charleston, S.C. Blanch reached his first career ATP Challenger 100 semifinal in Menorca, Spain, last week, and leads Nishesh Basavareddy and Mackenzie McDonald, who both reached the second round at the ATP 250 in Houston.
Akasha Urhobo at the USTA National Campus. Photo credit: USTA.
Women's Standings
(Player's current ranking in parentheses)
1. Akasha Urhobo (233) -- 57
2. Varvara Lepchenko (148) -- 54
T3. Alycia Parks (93) -- 32
T3. Ashlyn Krueger (108) -- 32
Men's Standings
(Player's current ranking in parentheses)
1. Dali Blanch (349) -- 29
T2. Nishesh Basavareddy (181) -- 25
T2. Mackenzie McDonald (126) -- 25
Iva Jovic and Emilio Nava earned French Open main draw wild cards last year via the Challenge, and both reached the second round. Jovic has since risen to a career-high ranking of No. 16 in the world, and Nava has risen as high as No. 74.
Previous Americans to earn wild cards into the French Open via the Challenge and how far they advanced at Roland Garros are below, including Amanda Anisimova, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro.
Frances Tiafoe at Roland Garros 2025. Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images.
Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge Winners
2025: Iva Jovic (2R); Emilio Nava (2R)
2024: Sachia Vickery (1R); Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (1R)
2023: Emma Navarro (2R); Patrick Kypson (1R)
2022: Katie Volynets (2R); Michael Mmoh (1R)
2019: Lauren Davis (2R); Tommy Paul (1R)
2018: Taylor Townsend (2R); Noah Rubin (1R)
2017: Amanda Anisimova (1R); Tennys Sandgren (1R)
2016: Taylor Townsend (2R); Bjorn Fratangelo (2R)
2015: Louisa Chirico (1R); Frances Tiafoe (1R)
2014: Taylor Townsend (3R); Robby Ginepri (1R)
2013: Shelby Rogers (2R); Alex Kuznetsov (1R)
2012: Melanie Oudin (2R); Brian Baker (2R)
Roland Garros 2026 will be held from May 28 - June 7 in Paris.
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