French Open 2026: Roland Garros

May 24 - June 07, 2026

The red clay courts of Stade Roland Garros are hosting the 126th edition of the French Open from May 18 to June 7, 2026. Nestled in between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, this is the only Major played on clay, the slowest and bounciest surface on offer. The opening week of Roland Garros 2026 featured six days of qualifying matches and player practice sessions before the main draw got underway on May 24. The detailed schedule for men's and women's singles includes four preliminary (knockout) rounds from May 24 to June 1, followed by the quarter-finals, semis and finals at Court Philippe Chatrier. The doubles events kick off on May 26, with mixed doubles starting on May 29.

Two-time defending men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz will not compete for a title hat-trick, as he withdrew from the French Open 2026 as well as Wimbledon 2026 due to a right wrist injury. In his absence, the top-ranked Jannik Sinner remains the favourite in the section, entering on a 29-match victory streak and chasing a career Grand Slam. Coco Gauff is the reigning women's singles champ, having defeated Aryna Sabalenka in 2025. Iga Swiatek, a four-time winner, is another strong contender. Sinner and all-time great Novak Djokovic have been slotted in opposite halves of the draw, which means they will not meet before the final. The 45-year-old Venus Williams is part of the women's doubles line-up with Hailey Baptiste. While India's sole singles hope, Karman Thandi, failed to qualify for the women's main draw, the nation does have representation in men's doubles. Yuki Bhambri is playing alongside New Zealand's Michael Venus and Sriram Balaji has partnered with Brazil's Marcelo Demoliner for the big-ticket tournament.

The overall French Open 2026 prize money is 61.7 million euros (72.1 million US dollars). The total amount has risen 5.3 million euros from 2025, but players said their share of Roland Garros revenue has gone down to 14.9 per cent, as compared to 22 per cent at regular ATP and WTA Tour events. The issue snowballed into a controversy, with world number one Sabalenka even calling for a boycott if player cuts did not increase, and media protests planned. Meanwhile, electronic devices that measure players' biometric data have been permitted on a trial basis for the first time. The trial will start at Roland Garros 2026 and continue at Wimbledon and US Open. Follow Outlook India for the latest tennis news, live scores, results and updates from the second Grand Slam of the season.