The French Open Begins: A New Chapter on Clay
The French Open is set to begin this Sunday, marking the climax of the clay-court season on the iconic red dirt of Roland-Garros. This prestigious tournament brings together the world’s best tennis players for a battle of skill, endurance, and strategy.
In the men’s draw, Jannik Sinner is the clear favorite to claim his first French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam. Sinner has had an exceptional season, becoming only the second man—and the youngest—to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. With arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz absent due to a wrist injury, Sinner faces few challenges. However, veteran Novak Djokovic remains a strong contender, aiming to secure his 25th major title and break records.
On the women’s side, the draw is filled with potential champions. Defending champion Coco Gauff, who had a mixed clay season, is determined to prove herself after a tough loss in the Italian Open final. She will be joined by Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, four-time Roland-Garros winner Iga Swiatek, and a revitalized Elina Svitolina, who recently won a significant title in Rome.
Key Dates and Entries
The French Open draw will take place on Thursday, 21 May at 2pm local time (1pm UK time). Here are the women’s seeds and full entry list:
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
- Iga Swiatek (POL)
- Coco Gauff (USA)
- Jessica Pegula (USA)
- Amanda Anisimova (USA)
- Elina Svitolina (UKR)
- Mirra Andreeva
- Victoria Mboko (CAN)
- Karolina Muchova (CZE)
- Belinda Bencic (SUI)
- Linda Noskova (CZE)
- Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
- Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Marta Kostyuk (UKR)
- Naomi Osaka (JPN)
- Iva Jovic (USA)
- Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
- Madison Keys (USA)
- Liudmila Samsonova
- Clara Tauson (DEN)
- Anna Kalinskaya
- Elise Mertens (BEL)
- Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
- Diana Shnaider
- Hailey Baptiste (USA)
- Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
- Anastasia Potapova (AUT)
- Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
- Ann Li (USA)
- Cristina Bucsa (ESP)
- Xinyu Wang (CHN)
Remaining draw includes:
- Jaqueline Cristian (ROU)
- Maya Joint (AUS)
- Sara Bejlek (CZE)
- Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
- Emma Raducanu (GBR)
- Alexandra Eala (PHI)
- Emma Navarro (USA)
- Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA)
- Janice Tjen (INA)
- Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
- Tereza Valentova (CZE)
- Dayana Yastremska (UKR)
- Laura Siegemund (GER)
- Mccartney Kessler (USA)
- Maria Sakkari (GRE)
- Magdalena Frech (POL)
- Lois Boisson (FRA)
- Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (ESP)
- Tatjana Maria (GER)
- Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
- Yuliia Starodubtseva (UKR)
- Talia Gibson (AUS)
- Caty McNally (USA)
- Magda Linette (POL)
- Anna Bondar (HUN)
- Zeynep Sonmez (TUR)
- Antonia Ruzic (CRO)
- Daria Kasatkina (AUS)
- Elsa Jacquemot (FRA)
- Solana Sierra (ARG)
- Nikola Bartunkova (CZE)
- Oleksandra Oliynykova (UKR)
- Panna Udvardy (HUN)
- Katie Boulter (GBR)
- Donna Vekic (CRO)
- Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU)
- Renata Zarazua (MEX)
- Taylor Townsend (USA)
- Shuai Zhang (CHN)
- Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)
- Petra Marcinko (CRO)
- Camila Osorio (COL)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
- Anastasia Zakharova
- Alycia Parks (USA)
- Eva Lys (GER)
- Viktorija Golubic (SUI)
- Kimberly Birrell (AUS)
- Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)
- Veronika Erjavec (SLO)
- Kamilla Rakhimova (UZB)
- Sofia Kenin (USA)
- Oksana Selekhmeteva
- Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)
- Lilli Tagger (AUT)
- Peyton Stearns (USA)
- Simona Waltert (SUI)
- Diane Parry (FRA)
- Daria Snigur (UKR)
- Tamara Korpatsch (GER)
- Ella Seidel (GER)
- Emiliana Arango (COL)
- Anna Blinkova
- Hanne Vandewinkel (BEL)
- Francesca Jones (GBR)
- Katie Volynets (USA)
- Moyuka Uchijima (JPN)
- Dalma Galfi (HUN)
- Julia Grabher (AUT)
- Jil Teichmann (SUI)
- Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP)
- Danka Kovinic (MNE)
Women’s Wildcards
- Clara Burel (FRA / Age 25)
- Ksenia Efremova (FRA / Age 17 / No.623)
- Fiona Ferro (FRA / Age 29 / No.197)
- Léolia Jeanjean (FRA / Age 30 / No.127)
- Emerson Jones (AUS / Age 17 / No.129)
- Sarah Rakotomanga (FRA / Age 20 / No.159)
- Alice Tubello (FRA / Age 25 / No.256)
- Akasha Urhobo (USA / Age 19 / No.183)
Major Absentees
The women’s draw features a stacked field, with all the top 32 in the WTA rankings set to compete in Paris. Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, who was charged with refusing a doping control test, is not playing. Britain’s Sonay Kartal is out of the remainder of the clay season due to a back injury.
Men’s Seeds and Full Entry List
Seeds include:
- Jannik Sinner (ITA)
- Alexander Zverev (GER)
- Novak Djokovic (SRB)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)
- Ben Shelton (USA)
- Alex de Minaur (AUS)
- Taylor Fritz (USA)
- Daniil Medvedev
- Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
- Casper Ruud (NOR)
- Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
- Karen Khachanov
- Andrey Rublev
- Flavio Cobolli (ITA)
- Valentin Vacherot (MON)
- Tommy Paul (USA)
- Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)
- Frances Tiafoe (USA)
- Luciano Darderi (ITA)
- Learner Tien (USA)
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
- Cameron Norrie (GBR)
- Jakub Mensik (CZE)
- Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)
- Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
- Arthur Fils (FRA)
- Corentin Moutet (FRA)
- Tallon Griekspoor (NED)
- Brandon Nakashima (USA)
- Ugo Humbert (FRA)
- Joao Fonseca (BRA)
- Alex Michelsen (USA)
Remaining draw includes:
- Gabriel Diallo (CAN)
- Jaume Munar (ESP)
- Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
- Zizou Bergs (BEL)
- Terence Atmane (FRA)
- Fabian Marozsan (HUN)
- Sebastian Korda (USA)
- Mariano Navone (ARG)
- Alejandro Tabilo (CHI)
- Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
- Tomas Machac (CZE)
- Marin Cilic (CRO)
- Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)
- Ethan Quinn (USA)
- Yannick Hanfmann (GER)
- Nuno Borges (POR)
- Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA)
- Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
- Rafael Jodar (ESP)
- Daniel Altmaier (GER)
- Sebastian Baez (ARG)
- Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB)
- Alexei Popyrin (AUS)
- Ignacio Buse (PER)
- Zhizhen Zhang (CHN)
- Roman Andres Burruchaga (ARG)
- Jenson Brooksby (USA)
- Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
- Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG)
- Raphael Collignon (BEL)
- Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)
- Reilly Opelka (USA)
- Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)
- James Duckworth (AUS)
- Alexander Blockx (BEL)
- Kamil Majchrzak (POL)
- Thiago Agustin Tirante (ARG)
- Alexander Shevchenko (KAZ)
- Marcos Giron (USA)
- Valentin Royer (FRA)
- Vit Kopriva (CZE)
- Mattia Bellucci (ITA)
- Marco Trungelliti (ARG)
- Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
- Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
- Cristian Garin (CHI)
- Zachary Svajda (USA)
- Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)
- Eliot Spizzirri (USA)
- Sebastian Ofner (AUT)
- Dino Prizmic (CRO)
- Hamad Medjedovic (SRB)
- Aleksandar Vukic (AUS)
- Quentin Halys (FRA)
- Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
- Francisco Comesana (ARG)
- Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
- Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
- Alexandre Muller (FRA)
- Patrick Kypson (USA)
- Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (PAR)
- Jacob Fearnley (GBR)
- Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA)
- Luca Van Assche (FRA)
- Martin Landaluce (ESP)
- Wu Yibing (CHN)
- Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
- Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
Men’s Wildcards
- Nishesh Basavareddy (USA / Age 21 / No.623)
- Titouan Droguet (FRA / Age 24 / No.109)
- Hugo Gaston (FRA / Age 25 / No.118)
- Arthur Gea (FRA / Age 21 / No.143)
- Moïse Kouame (FRA / Age 17 / No.313)
- Gaël Monfils (FRA / Age 39 / No.222)
- Clément Tabur (FRA / Age 26 / No.168)
- Adam Walton (AUS / Age 27 / No.103)
Major Absentees
Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz is missing the tournament due to a wrist injury. Lorenzo Musetti has also withdrawn, and former champion Stan Wawrinka has received a main draw spot instead of a wildcard. Young stars Holger Rune and Jack Draper are also absent as they recover from injuries.
