Clay-Court Power Rankings: Can Swiatek hold her ground heading into Roland Garros?

Iga Swiatek has been the best clay-court player of the current era, but is she still the best right now?

Since winning her first Roland Garros title in 2020, she has compiled a clay-court record that has kept her a step ahead of the women's game. She has four trophies in Paris to show for it. Yet the clear separation she once enjoyed started slipping last year, and the field has spent the past 12 months continuing to close that gap.

While Swiatek still holds a comfortable lead in our Power Rankings index, her 2026 campaign has been uncharacteristically quiet. Her year on clay began with a single victory in Stuttgart, and the pattern held in Madrid, where a gastrointestinal illness forced a mid-match retirement in the Round of 32. 

She arrived in Rome still seeking her first trophy of the year on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, and a semifinal run suggests she is finally finding her range just in time for the gates to open at Roland Garros.

To track the current landscape, our Clay-Court Power Rankings look at a player's sustained success and current momentum on the surface. The index is built on a weighted four-year formula: 

• 100% of points earned on clay in 2025 and 2026
• 75% of points from 2024
• 50% from 2023
• 25% from 2022

The current season shows that the chase directly behind her has shifted. Coco Gauff has been the one actively closing the gap, pushing through a grueling three-set final in Rome only to fall just short of the trophy. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka has found less traction this spring; her power game was neutralized early in both Madrid and Rome, where she failed to reach the semifinals in either.

As the tour prepares for Roland Garros, the overarching question is no longer about Swiatek’s past dominance on this surface, but whether she can find her best tennis in time to regain the title.

WTA Clay Court Power Rankings Index

1. Iga Swiatek: 7577.25 points 
Given her history at Roland Garros alone where she is a four-time champion, it's easy to see why she sits atop the charts. Beyond Paris, her 2024 dominance -- sweeping the triple crown of titles in Madrid, Rome, and Paris -- remains the gold standard for surface dominance in the modern game. However, her current standing relies heavily on that historical cushion; she failed to win any of those three titles last season and this year arrives in Paris looking to snap that drought on the red dirt.

2. Coco Gauff: 6023.5 points 
Gauff has evolved into a perennial threat on clay, a status underscored by her recent run to the Rome final. While she sits second in our overall power rankings, a closer look at the combined totals of her WTA Race points on clay over the past two years shows just how much she has closed the gap. Gauff leads the field with 4,286 points earned over the past two cycles, proving she has been the surface's most consistent performer. As the defending Roland Garros champion, she arrives in Paris as the primary threat to Swiatek’s top spot.

3. Aryna Sabalenka: 5758.5 points 
A three-time winner at the Mutua Madrid Open and a finalist at Roland Garros last season,  Sabalenka has historically transformed her high-octane game to thrive on slower surfaces. She maintains a top-three standing in our weighted Power Index, but her momentum has slowed a little this season. A quarterfinal finish in Madrid was followed by a Round of 32 exit in Rome. But as a runner-up at the French Open a year ago and the current World No. 1, Sabalenka will challenge for the title, regardless of her lead-up form. 

4. Mirra Andreeva: 3621.75 points
Still just 19, Andreeva has already settled into the tour’s top tier with a level of poise that feels well beyond her years. Her 2026 clay season includes a title in Linz and a run to the Mutua Madrid Open final -- results that have quickly established her as one of the most dangerous young players on the surface heading into Paris.

5. Elena Rybakina: 3395.25 points 
Despite her preference for quicker conditions, Rybakina has developed a sturdy clay-court floor anchored by her 2023 title in Rome and her success in Stuttgart, where she is a two-time champion, including her latest just last month. While those Stuttgart titles came indoors, they have provided a reliable baseline for the European swing, evidenced by her 2026 quarterfinal appearance at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Her ability to hit through slow surfaces remains a primary threat as the tour moves to Paris.

6. Elina Svitolina: 3223 points 
Svitolina has enjoyed a renaissance, capturing her third career Rome title this past weekend by defeating three Top 10 players in a single week -- including a statement victory over Gauff in the final. The win marked her 20th career title, a milestone she admitted was a major career hurdle. Beyond the achievement, Svitolina's focus is already shifting to the upcoming fortnight in Paris. "I want to put my head down and to really work, prepare from the first round. There are really tough players. You cannot underestimate,” she said.

7. Jasmine Paolini: 3015.5 points 
Despite disappointing results in Madrid and Rome, where won only a single match at each event, Paolini remains a dangerous presence on clay. Only two years removed from reaching the singles final at Roland Garros -- and arriving as the reigning doubles champion -- her heavy topspin, lateral movement and proven pedigree on the Philippe-Chatrier clay make her a threat to rediscover her best form once the main draw begins.

8. Jessica Pegula: 2485.25 points 
Pegula kicked off her clay swing by locking down a second straight title in Charleston. Her European momentum stalled briefly in Madrid with a second-round loss, though it took eventual champion Marta Kostyuk to knock her out. Pegula recovered quickly in Rome, looking sharp and fluid from the baseline until she collided with Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Pegula will take a 9-2 clay-court record this season into Paris. 

9. Madison Keys: 2178.5 points 
Keys started well in Charleston, winning three matches, but her European clay-court transition was instantly disrupted when she was forced to skip Madrid because of an illness. She returned in Rome but failed to get out of the Round of 32. Keys then decided to play a WTA 125 in Paris last week. However, up a set, she pulled out of the final with a reported knee injury. 

10.  Zheng Qinwen: 1979.25 points 
Two years ago, Zheng was emerging as one of the hottest clay-court players on tour. She won Palermo, dropping only a single set, before sweeping Olympic gold on the very courts where she will be next week at Roland Garros. In all, she won 11 straight matches on clay during that summer surge. This season, she carries a quiet 3-2 record on clay heading into Paris.