PARIS — Jannik Sinner faces a tough start in his journey for a career Grand Slam at the French Open this weekend, with the audience not rooting for him.
In Thursday’s draw, Sinner found himself matched against local talent Clement Tabur, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of 165th. Tabur secured the wild card left by former champion Stan Wawrinka, who received an automatic entry at the last moment.
With two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury, Sinner emerges as the clear frontrunner among the men on the iconic red clay of Roland Garros.
The Italian sensation has been on a winning streak for three months, boasting an impressive 29-match unbeaten run while only conceding three sets along the way. The French Open remains the elusive title in Sinner’s collection; he had three match points in last year’s final but fell to Alcaraz in a thrilling showdown.
In the women’s bracket, Coco Gauff is on a mission to join an elite group, aiming to be only the third woman in this century to defend her Roland Garros crown, following in the footsteps of Justine Henin and Iga Swiątek. She kicks off her campaign against compatriot Taylor Townsend, known for her doubles prowess.
At least five Canadian players are set to showcase their talents in the singles draw.
On Sunday, Victoria Mboko from Burlington, Ont., will challenge Czechia’s Nikola Bartunkova, while Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., is poised to face off against American Alycia Parks on Monday. The two previously met in the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International.
From Montreal, the men’s fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime is set to duel with Germany’s Daniel Altmaier on Monday. Gabriel Diallo, also from Montreal, is scheduled to compete against Australia’s James Duckworth on Sunday, while Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., is still awaiting his first-round opponent.
Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., faced Italy’s Federico Cina during the third qualifying round of the French Open on Thursday.
In the wake of Alcaraz’s absence — which will also extend to Wimbledon — Sinner has dominated all three clay Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. The 24-year-old boasts the fifth-longest winning streak in ATP Tour history (since 1990). The record, held by Novak Djokovic, stands at 43 consecutive wins during the 2010-11 season.
With his landmark title in Rome, Sinner became the first Italian man in 50 years to claim the prestigious trophy, and the second player after Djokovic to win all nine Masters — the major tournaments outside of the Grand Slams.
Djokovic is in pursuit of his historic 25th major title. The three-time Roland Garros champion from 2016, 2021, and 2023 arrives in Paris with only one match under his belt on clay this season, as well as just three tournaments overall due to a shoulder injury. The 38-year-old will face French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opener, with Djokovic potentially meeting Sinner only in the finals.
Novak’s compatriot and No. 2 seed, Alexander Zverev, still in search of his first major title after reaching the finals in 2024, will challenge local favorite Benjamin Bonzi.
The home crowd will also be cheering for Arthur Fils, the highest-ranked French player at No. 19, who is set to battle Wawrinka in an exciting matchup.
Gauff’s Quest for Repeal
Gauff clinched her inaugural Roland Garros title last year with a stunning victory over top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Once again, Gauff was the runner-up at the Italian Open, succumbing in the final to Elina Svitolina. Currently ranked No. 4, she’s projected to meet No. 1 Sabalenka in the semifinals.
Despite being formidable on hard courts, Sabalenka continues to refine her skills on clay. She faced an upset at the hands of American Hailey Baptiste in the Madrid Open quarterfinals and exited early in the Italian Open against 36-year-old Sorana Cirstea.
Sabalenka was visibly hindered by lower back pain during her time in Rome. She will meet Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a Spaniard ranked 51st, in the first round.
Elena Rybakina, currently ranked No. 2 and the Australian Open champion this year, finds herself in the same section of the draw as No. 3 Swiątek.
Rybakina has experienced mixed fortunes on clay, having reached the French quarterfinals twice. She will begin her campaign against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec.
Swiątek, a four-time French Open champion, recently suffered a loss to Svitolina in the semifinals of the Rome event and is currently adjusting her tactics under new coach Francisco Roig—who previously worked with Rafael Nadal. Her impressive 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros came to an end in last year’s semifinals against Sabalenka. She opens against wild card Emerson Jones from Australia.
Svitolina, hailing from Ukraine, captured the Rome title for her first WTA 1000 trophy in eight years and has made a remarkable return to the top 10 after maternity leave. However, she has never progressed beyond the semifinals of a Grand Slam and hasn’t exceeded the quarterfinals at the French Open. Svitolina will take on Anna Bondar in her first match.
