The 2026 Roland-Garros main draw was published on Thursday 22 May ahead of main-draw play starting Sunday 24 May. With…
Roland-Garros 2026 Draw Analysis | Sinner Path Open as Alcaraz, Musetti, Draper Out
The 2026 Roland-Garros main draw was published on Thursday 22 May ahead of main-draw play starting Sunday 24 May. With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrawn (wrist injury) and Lorenzo Musetti, Jack Draper and Holger Rune also out, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner arrives as the heaviest Roland-Garros favourite in years, chasing the Career Grand Slam after completing the Career Golden Masters in Rome. Sinner opens against French wildcard Clément Tabur; Novak Djokovic lands a tough opener against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard; Stan Wawrinka — in what is now confirmed as his final Roland-Garros — faces lucky loser Jesper De Jong after Arthur Fils pulled out with a back injury on 23 May. On the WTA, Aryna Sabalenka heads a draw that puts her and Coco Gauff in the same half — projected semi-final — while Iga Swiatek faces a brutal route past Ostapenko (R3), Kostyuk (R4) and a potential Svitolina quarter-final rematch from Rome.
For tournament context, contenders and how to watch, see our French Open 2026 preview. For betting markets, see our French Open 2026 outright tips. For all British players’ paths, see our Britain at Roland-Garros 2026 tracker.
Roland-Garros 2026 Draw: Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
| Draw published | Thursday 22 May 2026 |
| Main draw starts | Sunday 24 May 2026 |
| Men’s final | Sunday 7 June 2026 |
| Women’s final | Saturday 6 June 2026 |
| Draw size | 128 men / 128 women |
| Notable withdrawals | Alcaraz, Musetti, Draper, Rune, Fils, Kartal |
Confirmed Withdrawals Reshaping the Draw
Six high-profile withdrawals materially alter the 2026 Roland-Garros bracket:
- Carlos Alcaraz — two-time defending champion. Tendon inflammation and cartilage damage in the right wrist. Misses Rome and Roland-Garros.
- Lorenzo Musetti — rectus femoris injury picked up after his Rome semi-final run. Confirmed out.
- Jack Draper — knee issue. British No. 1 misses his second straight clay Slam.
- Holger Rune — out through injury.
- Arthur Fils — back/hip injury announced 23 May, the day before the tournament started. The 17-seed and French home hope pulled out without playing a match. Replaced as Wawrinka’s R1 opponent by lucky loser Jesper De Jong.
- Sonay Kartal — withdraws from the women’s main draw through injury.
The cumulative effect: a draw where Sinner’s projected path is the cleanest at a clay Slam in years, and a women’s draw where Sabalenka and Gauff are pencilled into the same half.
ATP: Top Seeds & R1 Openers
| Seed | Player | R1 Opponent |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | Clément Tabur (WC, FRA) |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) |
| 4 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Daniel Altmaier (GER) |
| 5 | Ben Shelton | Daniel Mérida (ESP) |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | Adam Walton (AUS) |
| 7 | Taylor Fritz | Nishesh Basavareddy (WC, USA) |
| 9 | Alexander Bublik | Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) |
| 15 | Casper Ruud | Qualifier |
| 17 | Withdrawn: Arthur Fils (back injury) | — |
ATP: Halves & Projected Paths
Sinner’s half (top)
With Alcaraz absent and Musetti withdrawn, Jannik Sinner‘s biggest threats in his half are Alexander Zverev — the only player to beat Sinner on clay in 2026 — and Felix Auger-Aliassime, (Arthur Fils was the home-crowd wildcard pick on this side of the draw before his 23 May withdrawal). Sinner-vs-Tabur in R1 is the cleanest possible start; the QF is where the resistance starts.
Djokovic’s half (bottom)
The 24-time Grand Slam champion landed in the harder half on paper — Daniil Medvedev (Rome semi-finalist), Casper Ruud (Rome finalist, 3x RG finalist), Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton all sit in this section. Djokovic’s R1 against the 6-foot-8 Mpetshi Perricard is one of the toughest first-up draws of the seed group. If he gets through the early rounds, a Ruud quarter-final and a Zverev semi-final loom.
Projected ATP semi-finals
- Sinner vs Zverev (top half)
- Djokovic vs Ruud (bottom half)
WTA: Top Seeds & R1 Openers
| Seed | Player | R1 Opponent |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP) |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | — |
| 3 | Iga Swiatek | Emerson Jones (AUS) |
| 4 | Coco Gauff | Taylor Townsend (USA) |
| 5 | Jessica Pegula | Kimberly Birrell (AUS) |
| 7 | Elina Svitolina | Anna Bondar (HUN) |
| 8 | Mirra Andreeva | Qualifier |
| 15 | Marta Kostyuk | Oksana Selekhmeteva |
Also in: Jasmine Paolini v Dayana Yastremska, Amanda Anisimova, Victoria Mboko, Belinda Bencic, Karolina Muchova, Daria Kasatkina.
WTA: Halves & Projected Paths
Sabalenka’s quarter
Aryna Sabalenka — last year’s finalist — heads the first quarter and could face Naomi Osaka in R4, Cristina Bucsa earlier. She is in the same half as Coco Gauff, who defends the title she won in 2025 — a Sabalenka–Gauff projected semi-final is the headline pairing.
Swiatek’s quarter
Iga Swiatek — four-time Roland-Garros champion — has arguably the toughest projected route. Jelena Ostapenko, who owns a 6-0 head-to-head over Swiatek, looms in R3. Madrid champion Marta Kostyuk is the projected R4 opponent. The QF puts her on collision course with Rome champion Elina Svitolina, who beat Swiatek in the Rome semi-final two weeks ago.
Projected WTA semi-finals
- Sabalenka vs Gauff (top half)
- Swiatek vs Rybakina (bottom half)
Storylines to Watch
Sinner’s Career Grand Slam quest
A Roland-Garros title would complete Sinner’s Career Grand Slam at age 24 and add a unique line to his Career Golden Masters — he is the heaviest pre-tournament favourite at a clay Slam since the peak Nadal years.
Wawrinka’s final Roland-Garros
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, 41, faces lucky loser Jesper De Jong in R1 after Arthur Fils’ withdrawal opened up the slot. Wawrinka has confirmed Roland-Garros 2026 as his Paris farewell — a Slam-pedigree presence in the bottom half on a sentimental run.
Djokovic’s potential 25th
Already the all-time Grand Slam record holder, Djokovic is in the bottom half away from Sinner — the cleanest route he has had at a Slam in years. But he opens against Mpetshi Perricard (one of the biggest serves on tour) and a Ruud QF would not be soft.
Swiatek’s ghosts
Ostapenko (R3, 6-0 H2H), Kostyuk (R4, Madrid winner), Svitolina (QF, beat Swiatek in Rome SF). No four-time RG champion has faced a tougher quarter in recent memory.
British Players in the Main Draw
With Jack Draper and Sonay Kartal both withdrawn through injury, four British players remain in the main draw:
- Cameron Norrie vs Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (PAR)
- Jacob Fearnley vs Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (ARG)
- Emma Raducanu vs Solana Sierra (ARG)
- Katie Boulter vs Akasha Urhobo (WC, USA)
For full British-player paths — including the record 12 in qualifying — see our Britain at Roland-Garros 2026 coverage.
How to Watch in the UK
Live coverage of Roland-Garros 2026 in the UK is on TNT Sports and Discovery+, with daily highlights and full match replays on demand. See our how to watch tennis guide for full details.
Sources: rolandgarros.com, ATP Tour, WTA Tour, Sky Sports. Draw published 22 May 2026. Last updated 23 May.
