ight third-round women’s matches were completed on Day 6 of the French Open. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and four-time champion Iga Swiatek attempted to take another step toward the title at Roland-Garros. Although there were no three-set battles, much exciting tennis was still played. We here at LWOT provide an overview of all the action in this article.
French Open Day 6 Women’s Recap
Who Looked Good
The final score of Aryna Sabalenka’s match did not represent how tough much of the encounter was. She raced into a 5-0 lead against a nervous-looking Olga Danilovic, but the Serbian found her groove after that. The contest became tight, and Danilovic had chances that could have taken it to a decider. Ultimately, Sabalenka played the most significant points better, which allowed her to defeat Danilovic 6-2 6-3.
Iga Swiatek also faced a competitive second set on Day 6 of the French Open. Jaqueline Cristian served excellently during it, unleashing several huge forehands to make the Pole sweat. However, Swiatek held firm under pressure by saving all six break points she faced, and triumphed 6-2 7-5 on her second match point.
Jasmine Paolini played her best match of the tournament so far against Yuliia Starodubtseva. Last year’s runner-up handled the Ukrainian’s aggressive style to prevail 6-4 6-1. The recent Italian Open champion’s athleticism around the court was on full display, demonstrating why she is one of the best defensive players in the world.
2019 semifinalist Amanda Anisimova has still yet to drop a set after beating Clara Tauson 7-6 6-4 in a battle of the powerful hitters. The 23-year-old was not considered a favorite before the event began. Yet, her formidable game can trouble any player when it fires on all cylinders for an entire match.
Elina Svitolina survived a tough battle against Bernarda Pera. The four-time quarterfinalist in Paris twice failed to serve out the match, but eventually progressed in two tiebreaks, 7-6 7-6. There were many lengthy rallies against the gritty Pera, who held her own admirably against a top opponent. Svitolina’s greater firepower ultimately proved decisive.
Who Looked Bad
Jelena Ostapenko missed an opportunity to set up a fourth-round French Open meeting with Iga Swiatek, against whom she has a 6-0 record. Instead, Elena Rybakina will face the 2022 US Open champion after thrashing the Latvian 6-2 6-2. Rybakina played arguably her best match of 2025 and deserves immense credit for her outstanding performance. At the same time, Ostapenko was all over the place. She hit five double-faults in the opening game, and things never looked up from there.
Dayana Yastremska also did not rise to the occasion on Day 6. Liudmila Samsonova comfortably won 6-2 6-3 in their meeting on Court 7. Like Ostapenko, Yastremska has a powerful, flat-hitting game that wildly fluctuates in quality. She had one of her bad days, which meant Samsonova progressed without playing her best.
Match of the Day
Although it only lasted two sets, Qinwen Zheng and Victoria Mboko’s contest on Court Simmone-Mathieu was highly entertaining. 18-year-old Mboko is among the most exciting talents in women’s tennis, following several impressive results recently. She also possesses a flashy, fun style to watch. Competing against Olympic Gold Medalist Zheng provided an opportunity to test her level.
Despite ultimately losing, Mboko acquitted herself well. She controlled some of the rallies, but also got pushed back several times by Zheng’s heavy topspin forehand. With the score at 2-1 to Zheng in the opening set, there were three consecutive breaks, two of them to the Chinese star. Last year’s 2024 WTA Finals runner-up stayed strong on serve after that to take it 6-3.
Although the match was mostly even, Zheng being more clinical on the big points proved vital. She took all four of her break point chances, while Mboko only converted two of eight. After consecutive breaks to start the second set, Mboko could not recover from losing her serve in the fifth game. Zheng saved a final break point at 5-4 before successfully serving out a 6-3 6-4 win to reach the French Open fourth round.