- Sinner, Sabalenka Begin French Open Campaigns as Gauff Starts Title Defence
Today, the 2026 French Open enters a decisive early phase as world number one Jannik Sinner and women’s top-ranked player Aryna Sabalenka begin their Roland Garros campaigns, while defending champion Coco Gauff starts her bid for another Paris crown.
With two-time defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury, Sinner arrives in Paris as the overwhelming favourite to win his first French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam.
The Italian has been the dominant force on the ATP Tour this season, winning all five Masters 1000 tournaments in 2026, including three titles on clay. He begins his Roland Garros campaign on a 29-match winning streak, having dropped only three sets during that run.
Sinner opens against French wildcard Clement Tabur in what is expected to be a test of control, rhythm and early-tournament composure. For the world number one, the priority will be to avoid unnecessary physical strain in a Grand Slam that often punishes slow starts and extended battles.
But the four-time Grand Slam champion has insisted he is prepared for the demands of best-of-five-set tennis, noting that longer matches can give players time to recover from difficult openings and solve tactical problems as contests evolve.
His route through Paris will be watched closely. Without Alcaraz in the draw, the tournament has lost one of its biggest clay-court reference points. That absence places even greater expectation on Sinner, whose form this year has made him the player every contender must measure themselves against.
On the women’s side, Sabalenka begins her campaign against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro as she continues her pursuit of a first Roland Garros title.
The Belarusian reached last year’s final, a run that marked a significant step forward in her clay-court evolution after years of being seen primarily as a hard-court force. Her power game has become more adaptable on slower surfaces, while improved patience from the baseline has made her a more credible threat in Paris.
Yet her build-up has not been without concern. A lower back injury affected her movement during an early exit at the Italian Open, raising questions over her physical condition heading into the year’s second Grand Slam.
Sabalenka has since moved to calm those concerns, saying she and her team focused heavily on recovery and that she feels physically and mentally ready to compete for the title.
For Gauff, Roland Garros carries a different kind of pressure.
The American returns as defending champion after last year’s dramatic comeback victory over Sabalenka in the final. Seeded fourth this year, she opens against fellow American Taylor Townsend on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Although Gauff has often been associated with hard-court success, Paris has become one of the venues that best reflects her competitive identity. The clay rewards her defensive instincts, movement, stamina and ability to turn difficult rallies into psychological pressure on opponents.
That resilience was visible again at the Italian Open, where she recovered from a set down in three separate matches before eventually losing the final to Elina Svitolina.
Gauff has admitted that the early rounds at Roland Garros can sometimes feel uncomfortable but said she has often found a way to grow into the tournament. That capacity to survive difficult moments may prove crucial as she attempts to defend one of the most important titles of her career.
Tuesday’s packed schedule on Court Philippe-Chatrier will also feature Stefanos Tsitsipas against France’s Alexandre Muller before the headline evening session between Sinner and Tabur.
Elsewhere, former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Japan’s Naomi Osaka, American contenders Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula, and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime are all set to begin their campaigns.
For Sinner, Paris offers the chance to move from dominance to history. For Sabalenka, this represents yet another chance to convert her clay-court progress into a first Roland Garros title. For Gauff, it is about proving that last year’s triumph was not a single magical run but the beginning of a sustained claim on the Paris crown.
As the top seeds enter the stage, Roland Garros now begins to take shape with pressure, expectation and legacy all arriving on court at once.
