French Open 2026: Karman Kaur Thandi exits in qualifying round 1

Former India No. 1 Karman Kaur Thandi’s hopes of making the main draw of a Grand Slam were dashed on Tuesday after she exited the women’s singles qualifiers at the French Open 2026.

The 27-year-old, returning after using a protected ranking, lost to France’s Harmony Tan 1-6, 0-6 in a one-sided contest in the opening round of the qualifiers.

Karman, currently ranked 1488 in the WTA rankings, secured her place in the elite qualification draw thanks to her Protected Ranking (PR) of 238, which placed her on the official entry list.

Playing her first competitive match post her injury break, Karman was never allowed to settle by her French opponent. The Indian then struggled with serving as much as she did with returns.

Karman failed to convert her lone break-point opportunity, while Tan capitalised on five of her eight chances.

This was Karman's first Grand Slam in 3 years and the first Indian woman to compete at a Grand Slam in 2 years, since Ankita Raina at the 2024 Australian Open.

This also ended India's campaign in the singles department, as she was the only Indian in this edition of the French Open.