How a foot injury reshaped the 2026 French Open doubles draw
In short: The women's doubles final at the 2026 French Open featured a clash of titans, but the tournament's narrative was shaped by more than just the final score. From injury withdrawals to shifting rankings, the path to the title was anything but predictable.
The 2026 French Open women's doubles final saw Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsend emerge victorious, defeating the duo of Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunić with a 6–2, 7–5 victory. For Siniaková, the win marked her eleventh major title, while Townsend secured her third. The victory was particularly significant for Siniaková's standing in the sport, as she managed to retain her WTA No. 1 doubles ranking by reaching at least the semifinals.
However, the tournament was marked by the absence of the reigning champions. While Sara Errani remained in the competition, her partner Jasmine Paolini was forced to withdraw due to a foot injury. This disruption led to a change in Errani's partnership; she teamed up with Lilli Tagger instead. Their run was short-lived, however, as they were eliminated in the second round by the pair of Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs.
The competition for the top of the rankings was intense from the start. Gabriela Dabrowski and Elise Mertens also vied for the top spot when the competition commenced. 1 spot. Mertens, specifically, entered the tournament with the ambitious goal of completing a career Grand Slam. Partnering with Zhang Shuai, Mertens' campaign ended in the third round following a loss to Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic.
The tournament's seeding was also a fluid affair. Prior to the 18 May 2026 official seeding, various projected seeds shifted according to live WTA rankings from 15 May 2026. Notable changes included the replacement of the pairing of Hailey Baptiste and Venus Williams with Eudice Chong and Veronika Erjavec, and the replacement of the Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse pairing with Alycia Parks and Laura Pigossi.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026 French Open – Women's doubles
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