The clay season's only Grand Slam returns to Paris on May 24, and this year's Roland-Garros lands with a very different cast at the top of the men's bracket. With Carlos Alcaraz out, the tournament that has belonged to him for two years is suddenly wide open. The women's draw, meanwhile, brings back its defending champion at the height of her powers. Here is everything to know before the first ball is hit.
Key dates
Qualifying runs May 18โ22 at Stade Roland-Garros in western Paris. The main draw ceremony is Thursday, May 21. First-round matches in the 128-player singles draws begin Sunday, May 24. The business end arrives in the first week of June โ quarterfinals on June 2 and 3, semifinals June 4 and 5, the women's singles final on June 6, and the men's singles final closing the event on Sunday, June 7. Centre court is the resurfaced Court Philippe-Chatrier, with its retractable roof now in its sixth full season.
The men's draw without Alcaraz
The two-time defending champion will not play. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament with a right wrist injury, and his absence reshapes the bracket more than any single result usually can. Jannik Sinner takes the No. 1 seed for a fourth consecutive Slam, which is the headline, but the deeper consequence is that the half of the draw normally containing Alcaraz now opens up for anyone willing to grab it.
The projected top eight reads Sinner, Alcaraz (still seeded despite the withdrawal, depending on the timing), Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud and Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic at six is the seeding wrinkle that matters: a possible quarterfinal collision with Zverev or Alcaraz's replacement in the bracket, with Sinner waiting in the semis. Musetti at home on clay is the most dangerous unseeded threat, and Draper's first deep clay run is the storyline nobody quite knows how to price.
The women's draw
Coco Gauff is back to defend, and the draw around her is as deep as any in recent memory. Aryna Sabalenka, Iga ลwiฤ tek, Elena Rybakina and Mirra Andreeva are all expected to be inside the top eight, and all of them have either won Roland-Garros (ลwiฤ tek), reached a final here (Sabalenka), or arrived in this form before. ลwiฤ tek's clay record is still the gold standard at this event, but Sabalenka has edged the head-to-head in 2026 and Andreeva keeps closing the gap on everyone. The likely final is impossible to call โ three different names could lift the Suzanne Lenglen trophy and not one would feel like an upset.
How to watch
Television rights are split by region. In the United States, every match streams on the Tennis Channel and on NBC's streaming platform, with the finals broadcast on NBC's main network. In the United Kingdom, Discovery+ and Eurosport carry the full event. In France, the host broadcaster France Tรฉlรฉvisions shows the late rounds free to air. Most of Europe takes the Eurosport feed; in Australia, Stan Sport holds rights through 2028.
For live scoring while you cook, commute or sit through a meeting, our tennis live scores page will cover every singles match across Chatrier, Suzanne Lenglen and the outside courts, refreshed point by point.
Three storylines worth tracking
- Sinner versus the clay. The world No. 1 has never won Roland-Garros, has never reached the final, and has lost in the semifinals here twice. On hard courts he is borderline untouchable right now. On clay he is human. This is the slam he most wants to add, and he arrives without the one player who has stopped him at it.
- Djokovic's 25th major chase. He has been within a match of a 25th Grand Slam title for three years. Paris in 2026 is one of his last realistic windows. A seventh seeding means a third-round meeting with a Top-20 player, then quarterfinal-level opposition from there. The draw will decide whether this is hope or fantasy.
- The Andreeva question. She made the Roland-Garros semifinal at seventeen in 2024 and has not stopped climbing. If the women's title is going to go to a first-time slam winner this year, this is the place and probably the player.
What to expect from the conditions
Paris in late May usually means cool mornings, warm afternoons and one or two rain delays per week. The new Chatrier roof keeps the showcase matches on schedule but slows the surface considerably when it closes โ useful intelligence for matches where one player wants a slug-fest and the other wants the ball to skid through. Balls are Wilson again this year, the same heavier specification players spent much of 2025 complaining about. Expect long rallies, late finishes, and at least one five-set night session that runs past midnight.
FAQ
When does the main draw start? Sunday, May 24, 2026. Qualifying runs the week before from May 18 to 22.
Why isn't Alcaraz playing? The two-time defending champion withdrew before the tournament with a wrist injury. He has not been replaced by a wildcard at the top of the bracket; the standard lucky loser process fills his slot.
What surface is the French Open played on? Red crushed brick โ the slowest surface on tour. Points are longer, serves matter less, and movement and stamina are decisive.
Are men's matches still best of five? Yes. Roland- Garros is one of only four events on the men's tour that still uses best-of-five sets, with a final-set tiebreak at 6โ6.
How do I follow live scores? Head to Scorelisto's tennis section for every match, or visit the blog for more previews as the tournament unfolds.