Hijikata vs Paul • 1st round • French Open 2026 • TennisTemple

At Roland Garros, Tommy Paul (seed No. 24) is the favorite against Rinky Hijikata (102nd). The American comes off a final in Hamburg and has already won a title on clay in Houston this year, while the Australian struggles on this surface with only 13 wins in 37 matches in 2026. Their only meeting dates back to 2025 on hard court, where Paul won 6-3, 6-4.

On clay, the gap seems even wider: Paul has 74 wins against 53 losses in his career, while Hijikata has lost his last three matches on clay against top 100 players. Paul’s freshness, having had only two days of recovery after his final in Hamburg, will be a key factor.