The 2026 French Open promises to be a cracker. Several key storylines are emerging for the tournament. The annual debate over line judges is set to continue, as the French Open remains the only Grand Slam to use human line judges.
Men’s Draw: Challengers Look to Capitalise
Carlos Alcaraz’s absence due to a wrist injury has shaken up the men’s field. This makes Félix Auger-Aliassime a theoretical semifinal opponent for Jannik Sinner. Auger-Aliassime is the fourth seed for 2026 because of Alcaraz’s absence. He has never reached the French Open quarterfinals and has lost in the first round on four of his six visits.
The No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur had won just four of his previous 11 matches before going on a run to the Hamburg Open semifinals. Taylor Fritz is rusty. Ben Shelton’s drive to be formidable on a clay court has hit a sticky patch. Lorenzo Musetti, a semifinalist last year, is out injured. The men’s top tier is in a state of Grand Slam stasis.
Expecting deep runs from its younger members feels premature. Arthur Fils has the talent and charisma to ride the wave of French support into the latter stages, but he’s only recently back from an eight-month back injury and retired with a hip issue at his last event.
Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev might be sensible bets. They both went deep at the Italian Open last week. Ruud reached the final and Medvedev the semifinals. Both gave decent accounts of themselves against Sinner, with Medvedev even taking a set off the seemingly unbeatable world No. 1.
WTA Tour: The Quest for a Dominant Group
Here’s what the top of the WTA Tour looks like on the eve of the French Open.
- Aryna Sabalenka is the world No. 1.
- Elena Rybakina is the world No. 2, and the best player in the world this year.
- Iga Świątek is the world No. 3.
- Świątek is a four-time Roland Garros champion and still the best clay-court player.
Questions Awaiting Answers
How will the challengers on the ATP Tour respond to their task?
Is this the tournament that proves a WTA Big Four is still possible?
Where will the fight over Grand Slam prize money go next?
The 2026 French Open promises to be a cracker.