The 2026 Roland Garros tournament gets underway on Sunday, May 24, with attention focused on world number ones Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, who enter the French Open as favourites in the men’s and women’s singles categories.
Last year’s edition produced historic results after both the ATP and WTA top-ranked players lost in their respective finals for the first time in the tournament’s history. Sinner and Sabalenka are now hoping to bounce back after painful defeats in 2025.
For Sinner, the stakes are even higher as the Italian star is chasing tennis history. Victory in Paris would see him complete both the Career Grand Slam and Career Golden Masters before turning 25.
The world number one has enjoyed a dominant season so far, including victories in the opening five ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the year. He is also riding a remarkable 29-match winning streak heading into Roland Garros.
With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz absent from this year’s competition, Sinner is viewed as the clear favourite by the Opta supercomputer, which gives him a 20.44 per cent chance of winning his first French Open title.
However, history offers some caution. Tennis legends Novak Djokovic and John McEnroe both entered Roland Garros with longer winning streaks in previous years but failed to win the title.
Despite a disappointing exit in Rome, Djokovic remains the second favourite according to Opta’s prediction model with an 11.97 per cent chance of lifting the trophy. Alexander Bublik and Alexander Zverev are also among the leading contenders.
Qualifier Pablo Llamas Ruiz has emerged as one of the potential surprise names in the men’s draw, with Opta projecting a strong possibility of a deep run despite his low ranking.
On the women’s side, the race appears far more competitive. Sabalenka enters as the narrow favourite with a 7.74 per cent title probability, while Elena Rybakina follows closely behind.
Defending champion Coco Gauff and former world number one Iga Swiatek are also expected to challenge strongly for the title.
One of the biggest surprise names in the women’s draw is Janice Tjen, who has been identified by Opta as a possible giant-killer capable of causing major upsets during the tournament.
Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina heads into the tournament with growing momentum after winning in Rome earlier this month.
With several top players closely matched in form and probability, the women’s singles competition is expected to be one of the most open and unpredictable editions in recent years.
