Jannik Sinner enters French Open

Jannik Sinner begins the French Open on Sunday as the central figure in the men’s draw, with Roland Garros opening in Paris on May 24 and running through June 7. The Italian arrives as the top seed and, in the view of multiple preview pieces, the clear favorite after Carlos Alcaraz was left out of the field. The tournament also carries a larger milestone for Sinner: a title in Paris would complete the career Grand Slam. On the women’s side, defending champion Coco Gauff starts with a more complicated bracket after landing in the same half as Aryna Sabalenka. ### Why is Sinner entering this tournament under more scrutiny than usual? Jannik Sinner comes into Roland Garros with a different frame around him than in recent majors: not just contender, but favorite. BBC Sport described the men’s draw as close to a one-horse race, a reflection of both Sinner’s position at the top of the sport and the absence of Alcaraz from the bracket. Carlos Alcaraz’s absence removes the defending force many expected to shape the men’s tournament. Secondary reports tied that withdrawal to a wrist injury, and the draw projections that followed placed more attention on Sinner’s route through Paris. (cbssports.com) ### What exactly is at stake for Sinner in Paris? The French Open is the only major missing from Sinner’s résumé, which is why Paris now carries added weight. CBS Sports said Sinner is chasing both the 2026 title and the career Grand Slam, making this tournament a chance to complete the full set of major singles trophies. (tennis365.com) Roland Garros is the second Grand Slam of the season, and the 2026 edition runs from May 24 through June 7. That schedule sets up two weeks in which every round on the men’s side will be read against the same question: whether the top seed can convert a favorable draw into his first title on the Paris clay. (cbssports.com) ### Who else still matters in the men’s bracket? Novak Djokovic remains part of the conversation even with Sinner taking most of the pre-tournament attention. ESPN and other previews still listed Djokovic among the principal contenders, and broader draw analysis identified Alexander Zverev among the leading names in the field behind Sinner. (cbssports.com) The absence of Alcaraz does not leave the men’s event empty; it changes the balance of it. Draw previews have focused less on whether Sinner belongs among the favorites and more on whether anyone left in the field can stop him over seven best-of-five matches. (msn.com) ### Why is the women’s draw drawing almost as much attention? Coco Gauff returns to Paris as defending champion, but her section of the bracket is not open. Roland Garros’ own draw preview said Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka were placed in the same half, ruling out a repeat of last year’s final and setting up the possibility of a semifinal meeting instead. (nytimes.com) Aryna Sabalenka enters as world No. 1, while Gauff arrives with the title she won in Paris last year. That pairing gives the women’s event an immediate top-half focal point, with Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina also part of the wider title picture in preview coverage before play began. (rolandgarros.com) ### What should readers watch first as the tournament starts? May 24 is the start of main-draw play, and the first days of the event will establish whether the pre-tournament shape holds. For Sinner, that means whether he moves cleanly through the opening rounds as the favorite. For Gauff and Sabalenka, it means tracking a women’s bracket that already points toward a potential late-stage collision. (wtatennis.com) June 7 is the closing date on the Roland Garros schedule, when the men’s and women’s singles champions will be settled in Paris. Until then, the tournament’s clearest markers are already set: Sinner’s bid for a career Grand Slam, and a women’s draw that places Gauff and Sabalenka on the same side from the start. (cbssports.com)