Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah draws Anisimova at Roland-Garros 2026
tiantsoa sarah rakotomanga rajaonah will face Amanda Anisimova in the first round of Roland-Garros 2026, and the 20-year-old French player says she is ready for the challenge. Anisimova arrives as the No. 6 seed, giving Rakotomanga Rajaonah a seeded opponent in her opening match at the Paris major.
Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Anisimova
“C’est une grosse tête, c’est sûr. Ça va être un gros match. Je me sens prête. J’aime bien jouer contre des têtes de série. On se voit bien, sans pression, puis je vais me donner à fond.” Rakotomanga Rajaonah said that before the draw-day focus settled on Anisimova, the opponent now set to stand across the net first.
She also said, “Ça se passe très bien, je me suis bien préparée. Là, je suis fit, ça va nickel.” That lines up with the other part of her message before Roland-Garros: she has no physical issues and feels in shape after recent preparation.
Roland-Garros and clay
Roland-Garros carries extra weight for her because she described it as “C’est un rêve d’enfant qui se réalise.” The tournament also puts her back on clay, the surface she associates with Rafael Nadal and the one that frames this home Grand Slam run in Paris.
Her recent confidence comes from Billie Jean King Cup play, where she said her first victory of the season arrived. That win follows her Australian Open opener against Aryna Sabalenka, another early test against a major name, and it gives her a sharper reference point heading into Anisimova.
Paris pressure for Sarah
She expects to play on a big court at Roland-Garros, though she does not know which one. That uncertainty is the only real wrinkle around the opener: the opponent is known, the stage is set, and Rakotomanga Rajaonah has already said she likes facing seeded players.
For a French player trying to turn a first seasonal win and a clean bill of health into something bigger, the assignment is straightforward. Beat a No. 6 seed at home, or at least force the match into the kind of fight she says she wants.
