Jannik Sinner favored in French Open draw

Jannik Sinner arrived at the 2026 French Open with the men’s draw tilted toward him before a ball was struck. Roland-Garros published the singles brackets ahead of first-round play on Sunday, and the shape of the field reinforced what several broadcasters and tennis outlets had already framed as the tournament’s central men’s storyline: Sinner is the top seed, Carlos Alcaraz is absent, and the path in Paris is more open for the Italian than it has been in recent years. Coco Gauff opened the women’s event in a different position. Gauff returned to Paris as defending champion, but the draw placed her in the same half as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, creating the possibility of a meeting before the final rather than in it. That is the women’s bracket’s clearest pressure point at the start of the fortnight. (rolandgarros.com) ### Why is Sinner being treated as the man to beat? BBC Sport said Sinner’s form and Alcaraz’s withdrawal made this the clearest men’s French Open favorite since Rafael Nadal’s peak years. CBS Sports also framed Paris as Sinner’s chance to complete a career Grand Slam, which adds to the weight around his seeding and draw position. Carlos Alcaraz is not in the field because of a wrist injury, removing the two-time defending champion from the bracket. (cbssports.com) That absence matters more than any single early-round matchup because Alcaraz and Sinner had defined the top of the men’s game entering this clay season. ### What does the official draw show on the men’s side? (aol.com) Roland-Garros listed Sinner at the top of the men’s singles draw, with Novak Djokovic in the opposite half. Tennis.com reported that the draw left open the possibility of a Sinner-Djokovic final, rather than a semifinal between them. The official draw also showed Sinner opening against C. Tabur, while other seeded names in his half included Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur. (abc.net.au) In the lower half, Djokovic was joined by Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev and others, giving the bracket a more crowded look away from Sinner’s section. That does not decide the event, but it helps explain why pre-tournament coverage has centered on him. (rolandgarros.com) ### How tough is Gauff’s title defense? Gauff’s challenge starts with the company around her. The defending champion is in the same half as Sabalenka, and Tennis.com projected that pairing as a semifinal collision if both advance. ESPN said Gauff won the Australian Open in February 2026 and came into Paris with a 9-2 clay record this season. (rolandgarros.com) That gives her recent major-winning form, but it does not soften the draw. The women’s field also includes Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, with ranking implications still in play near the top. ### Where can readers check the bracket and schedule themselves? (tennis.com) Roland-Garros has posted the full men’s and women’s draws on its results page, and WTA coverage also links the women’s bracket and results. CBS Sports and USA Today both published schedule overviews showing the tournament running from May 24 through June 7 in Paris. June 7 is the final date on the 2026 Roland-Garros schedule, and the official tournament site is carrying updated draws and results as first-round matches begin in Paris. (wtatennis.com) (rolandgarros.com)