The allure of the French Open is truly captivating.
Stade Roland Garros boasts its striking red clay courts, which have notoriously obliterated countless pairs of tennis shoes.
Legends like Rafael Nadal have left their mark on this hallowed ground, while pioneers like René Lacoste transformed their tournament success into iconic sportswear legacies.
As we step into another thrilling year of competition, history awaits to be written. But first, let’s dive into some intriguing narratives leading up to this year’s tournament, which kicks off first-round matches on Sunday.
Among the most anticipated outcomes is the crowning of the 2026 men’s singles champion. The gifted Italian, Jannik Sinner, is poised to seize his inaugural French Open title and achieve a coveted career Grand Slam.
Sinner is on a remarkable 29-match winning streak dating back to February and recently claimed the Italian Open crown, marking the first time an Italian man has done so since 1976.
This victory marks his sixth straight triumph at a Masters 1000 event—no other player has surpassed four consecutive wins. Sinner and Novak Djokovic stand as the only men to have won every one of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments since their inception in 1990. While Djokovic achieved this feat at 31, Sinner is just 24.
“What you’re doing is hard to describe,” noted Italian Open finalist Casper Ruud, after his match with Sinner last Sunday.
Though it may be challenging to put into words, it’s worth the effort.
Sinner’s blend of explosive power and calm demeanor renders him nearly invincible. Over the past year, he leads the ATP Tour with a staggering 93.1% of service games won and 32.3% of return games won. His composure exudes a quiet confidence that is daunting for opponents.
Adding to Sinner’s favorable odds is the absence of his main rival due to injury.
The reigning men’s singles champion, Carlos Alcaraz, will be sidelined this time. Once seen as the challenger to Rafael Nadal’s formidable 14 French Open titles, Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open just over a month ago.
Alcaraz announced earlier this week that he will also miss Wimbledon, which doesn’t commence until late June.
Beyond being a formidable adversary, Alcaraz is a seasoned Grand Slam champion and boasts a 10-7 head-to-head record against Sinner—two of his wins came in Slam finals. Plus, Alcaraz is a year younger at 23.
Since the start of 2024, Sinner and Alcaraz have claimed all nine Grand Slam titles. For at least the next two majors, the fate of this trend lies solely on one player’s shoulders.
Victoria Mboko, ranked No. 9 in the women’s draw, stands out as Canada’s brightest tennis talent. The 19-year-old from Toronto recently achieved her best major finish by reaching the fourth round in Australia.
On Friday, Mboko triumphed over Jaqueline Cristian in a hard-fought three-set match to advance to the Strasbourg Open final, serving as a warm-up before Paris. After recovering from a medical timeout early on, she will face Emma Navarro from the U.S. in the final on Saturday.
Mboko is on the brink of becoming a household name in Canada and could elevate her status with a strong performance in Roland Garros. She begins her campaign against 20-year-old Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in Round 1.
Also representing Canada is No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez, who faces American Alycia Parks after being eliminated by Mboko in the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg event.
Leading the Canadian men is fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who will meet Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in the opening round. The Montreal star had a strong start to the clay season, reaching the Monaco quarterfinals before falling to Sinner. However, in the subsequent three tournaments, he hasn’t advanced beyond the round of 16, including an early exit in Rome.
Nonetheless, Auger-Aliassime remains the only Canadian man since Milos Raonic to attain a top-five ranking.
Other unseeded Canadians include Denis Shapovalov, who begins his tournament against qualifier Jaime Faria from Portugal, and Gabriel Diallo, who will play against Australian James Duckworth.
While the men’s side will announce a new champion, Coco Gauff is gearing up to defend her women’s title from 2025. The 22-year-old American has had a strong clay season, recently finishing as the runner-up in Rome.
Beneath No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who has clinched three titles this season, the WTA has witnessed a diverse range of champions, with five different women winning the six Masters 1000 events so far.
Although Sabalenka leads the WTA rankings, she hasn’t been in peak form recently, suffering an exit in the round of 32 at Rome. As a four-time Slam champion, she’s eager to secure her first titles at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
To reach another final, Gauff will need to navigate through formidable opponents like No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina, who captured the Australian Open earlier this year, and No. 3 Iga Swiatek, a four-time Roland Garros champion.
Gauff will kick off her tournament against her friend and fellow American, Taylor Townsend.
Off the court, a heated debate regarding player compensation is stirring within the ATP and WTA circuits. Stars like Sabalenka and Gauff have voiced their dissatisfaction with Grand Slam tournament directors for not increasing the players’ revenue share.
While Roland Garros has seen its overall prize money increase by over 5 million euros (around $8 million CDN) since last year, the players’ share has notably dropped from 15.5% in 2025 to 14.9% this year.
Though conversations of boycotting future Slams have subsided for now, numerous top-10 athletes, including Sinner and Sabalenka, are considering silent protests by limiting their media engagements.
As the tournament unfolds, it will be intriguing to see how far the sport’s elite will go to disrupt media interactions and elicit change.
With Alcaraz injured, Djokovic’s age playing a factor, and Sinner as the sole beacon of youth, the door is wide open for one of the emerging talents to shine in Paris.
Arthur Fils emerges as a strong candidate. Competing on home soil and in prime form, the 21-year-old has yet to surpass the fourth round at a Grand Slam.
The Frenchman boasts a solid clay track record, having won the Barcelona Open in April. Although he struggled with a back injury last season, he’s been making a triumphant return to the top 10.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Ben Shelton has gained prominence over the past year, winning the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in 2025 and the Munich Open last month, a clay ATP 500 event.
As the highest-ranked American on the men’s tour at No. 5, Shelton, a powerful lefty, is eager to break through as a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist.
Yet, the tournament isn’t solely about the newcomers.
A few tennis icons are poised for their farewell appearances at the French Open, notably the cherished ‘Flying Frenchman’, Gael Monfils.
One of France’s most beloved players over the past fifty years, Monfils may not have reached a Slam final but has captivated fans with his charismatic play and charming personality. He announced his retirement earlier this season and will compete against fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston in what promises to be an electrifying first-round match.
Additionally, 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka is also on his farewell tour, set to face Fils in the opening round.
Be sure to cheer for Belgian David Goffin and Romanian Sorana Cristea as they play their final matches at Roland Garros, each having enjoyed a modicum of success at the tournament over the years.
