Summer is here, and the wait is over for the second Grand Slam of the year. The 2026 French Open is set to begin on Sunday, and the best players in the world will battle it out in a bid to triumph in the biggest clay-court tournament of the year. As the likes of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and more get ready for the 2026 French Open, here’s the lowdown on the tournament.
2026 French Open Draw Date
The draw for the 2026 French Open will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). Fans all over the world can find out the top players’ path to the French Open title by tuning in on the Roland Garros YouTube channel. A total of 128 players will take part in the main draw of both the men’s and women’s singles, including 16 qualifiers and 8 wild cards.
Format and Daily Schedule
The 2026 French Open will follow a single-elimination format. The men’s singles matches will be played as best-of-five sets, and the women’s singles matches will be played as best-of-three sets. This also remains the only Grand Slam without electronic line calling and still relies on human line judges and chair umpires.
The main draw of the 2026 French Open will get underway on Sunday, with the second round set to begin on Wednesday, May 27. The third round will follow on May 29 and 30, with the fourth round set to mark the start of the second week of the Grand Slam.
The quarterfinals will take place on June 2 and 3, followed by the women’s singles semifinals on June 4 and the men’s singles semifinals on June 5. The women’s singles final will be held on Saturday, June 6. The men’s singles final will take place on Sunday, June 7.
Top Seeds
Men’s Singles
Sinner will headline the men’s singles field at the French Open. He arrives at Roland Garros on a 29-match unbeaten streak and will have his sights set on completing the Career Grand Slam.
Alexander Zverev will be the second seed, followed by Novak Djokovic. The German will look to win a maiden Grand Slam title, while the Serb will be eyeing a 25th Major crown.
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz will miss the French Open due to a wrist injury.
Here are the top 8 men’s seeds:
- Jannik Sinner
- Alexander Zverev
- Novak Djokovic
- Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Ben Shelton
- Daniil Medvedev
- Taylor Fritz
- Alex de Minaur
Women’s Singles
The women’s singles field is stacked with talented players and possible contenders. Sabalenka arrives in Paris as the top seed and will be determined to add the French Open to her glittering trophy cabinet.
However, four-time French Open champion Iga Świątek will also have another deep Roland Garros run in her sights, while Gauff will also be one to watch as the reigning champion, and Elena Rybakina is also in fine form at the moment.
Here are the top 8 women’s seeds:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Elena Rybakina
- Iga Świątek
- Coco Gauff
- Jessica Pegula
- Amanda Anisimova
- Elina Svitolina
- Mirra Andreeva
How to Watch the 2026 French Open
Fans in the United States will be able to watch the 2026 French Open live on TNT, HBO Max, and truTV. Those in the United Kingdom can also watch the action live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
In Canada, TSN and RDS will provide live coverage of all the action from Roland Garros. Those in Australia can follow along on Channel 9 and Stan Sport. In France, Prime Video and France TV will be airing the second Grand Slam of the year live.
Eurosport will air the French Open across the rest of Europe. Fans in China can follow the matches on CMG and Tencent, and those in Japan can watch on WOWOW. For more information on how to watch the French Open from around the globe, follow this link.
Prize Money and Points Breakdown
The total prize money for this year’s French Open is €56.352 million (US$65.41 million). The men’s and women’s singles champions will receive €2,550,000 (US$2,959,734), while the runners-up will get €1,275,000 (US$1,479,854).
The men’s and women’s singles French Open champions will also receive 2000 ranking points, while the runners-up will get 1300 ranking points.
The men’s and women’s doubles winning teams will receive €590,000 (US$684,771) each.
Who Are the Defending Champions?
Alcaraz is the reigning French Open men’s singles champion. He defeated Sinner in an enthralling final last year that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes. But the Spaniard will miss this year’s edition of the Grand Slam with a wrist injury.
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Gauff is the defending women’s singles champion after her come-from-behind win over Sabalenka in last year’s final.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos are the reigning men’s doubles champions, while Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won the women’s doubles title last year. Errani and Andrea Vavassori were crowned the mixed doubles champions at the 2025 French Open.
