The French Open has once again witnessed a handful of shock exits in round one, with Jessica Pegula arguably the most high-profile.
Pegula has been one of the best WTA players in the 2026 season, with the world number five having claimed two titles.
But she has just suffered a huge upset at the French Open, falling in the first round to Australian Kimberly Birrell.
Birrell defeated fifth seed Pegula 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, with tennis legends John McEnroe and Andy Roddick now doing their best to contextualize the major shock.
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John McEnroe and Andy Roddick react to Jessica Pegula’s French Open exit
McEnroe said live on TNT Sports: “I don’t think Jessica is as comfortable on the clay.
“I think by far her best surface is hard courts, so it’s not shocking that she did not do well, but I am surprised that she had gone out in the first round.”
And Roddick noted on his Served podcast: “Big upset. I think it’s such a shocking result – and let’s talk about why without being critical.
“Jess does not lose matches like this. She does not lose early rounds to lower-ranked players, she has not been that person for five or six years.
“If you were like who is least likely to get upset, Jess is on that shortlist, maybe even more so than Coco Gauff and other players.
“Birrell played smartly, coached by veteran Nicole Pratt, but that was a tough one. All eyes go to the grass for Jess Pegula now.
“I have said this for a ton of years, her best surface could be grass.
“It hasn’t bore fruit yet, I have been wrong, but I still think Jess Pegula is going to be in that conversation at Wimbledon.”
| Kimberly Birrell | Jessica Pegula | |
| 51.9% 41/79 | Total service points won | 54.5% 42/77 |
| 45.5% 35/77 | Total return points won | 48.1% 38/79 |
| 48.7% 76/156 | Total points won | 51.3% 80/156 |
Jessica Pegula’s early French Open loss shocks Mats Wilander
Of course, Birrell deserves huge credit for how she handled her opponent and indeed the occasion in Paris.
But Pegula has understandably taken centre stage in the immediate aftermath of the match, which she will likely anlayze in great detail to determine what went wrong.
Offering his take on the shock result in Paris, former world number one Mats Wilander said live on TNT Sports: “This is a big surprise for Jessica Pegula.
“I thought she had a big chance to go far in this tournament, especially as the heat hit.
“Because the balls are travelling through the air a bit faster, but maybe by playing at night it slowed down a little bit and maybe she did not get the same pop on her groundstrokes. It is a big surprise.”
Which Grand Slam is Jessica Pegula most likely to win?
In terms of Grand Slams alone, hard courts have thus far proven to be Pegula’s most successful surface.
She lost the 2024 US Open final and has previously reached the Australian Open semifinals, compared to quarterfinal runs only at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
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