Article by Roxana Fleşeru – Published Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 2:57 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 3:05 p.m.
Irina Begu (35 years old, 211th WTA place) was defeated in the second round of Roland Garros qualifications by Suzan Lamens (26 years old, 124th WTA place) 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3. The matches on the main table, where Romania will have three representatives, start on May 24.
Irina Begu, in her third tournament of the season, lost in the second round of the Paris Grand Slam qualifiers. On Court 5 of the Porte d'Auteuil complex, the Romanian fought to get her second victory since her comeback, after in the first round she had beaten Elizara Yaneva (19 years old, 222nd WTA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The match in the second round of the preliminary stage at Roland Garros was one of attrition. The first set lasted 55 minutes and the exchanges were long. Encouraged from the stands by a strong tricolor gallery, Irina resisted in the match against Suzan Lamens. She was leading 4-2 but leveled at 4, but in the tenth game she gave up her serve, the player from the Netherlands winning the set 6-4.
The second set was a carousel of breaks, six in total, one that led to the situation where the Romanian served at 5-4 to close the set, but failed. In the end, they both managed to find the balance and the set reached the tie-break, where Irina prevailed 9-7. A rather long medical break followed, with the Romanian receiving care for her right leg, with bandages on her sole and big toe.
In the decider, the Romanian did not have so much energy, her opponent pulling away to 5-2 and ending the match after 3 hours and twenty minutes with 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3.
Irina Begu stops for the third time in the qualifications at Roland Garros
Begu was in just her third tournament of the season, returning in April 2026 after a nine-month break. She announced last year, after she won on the clay in Iași, that she would stay away from tennis for a while. She played in Madrid in the main draw and in Rome in the qualifiers, losing each time. In Paris, he ticked off his first victory since 2026.
For the Romanian, it was the third time on the qualification table, after 2009 and 2014, when she did not pass them either. Irina Begu played 14 times in the main draw of the Paris Grand Slam tournament, her best result being reaching the last eight in 2016 and 2022.
Romania also had a representative in the qualifications at this year's edition of Roland Garros, Miriam Bulgaru succumbing in the first match.
On the main draw, which debuts on May 24, of the major tournament in Paris, Romania will be represented by Sorana Cîrstea, Jaqueline Cristian and Gabriela Ruse.
