Roland-Garros draw includes four champions

Roland-Garros set its 2026 singles draws on Thursday in Paris, laying out a men’s field without Carlos Alcaraz and a women’s bracket headed by top seed Aryna Sabalenka. The tournament said the combined singles field includes four previous French Open winners and 10 total Grand Slam singles champions. (rolandgarros.com) Main-draw play starts Sunday, May 24, at Stade Roland-Garros. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic was drawn into the bottom half, away from world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. (rolandgarros.com) Roland-Garros’ live coverage said that alignment leaves open a possible semifinal between Djokovic and second seed Alexander Zverev, while Sinner heads the top half. (rolandgarros.com) ### Which part of the men’s draw stands out first? Jannik Sinner opens against French wild card Clement Tabur, according to Roland-Garros, and arrives in Paris with the tournament’s official coverage framing his bid as a push for a career Grand Slam. The official site said Sinner is seeking a fifth major singles title and a first on the Paris clay. (rolandgarros.com) Carlos Alcaraz is not in the field. Tennis365 reported Wednesday that the two-time defending champion is absent because of a wrist injury, a withdrawal that moved Zverev to the top line of the bottom half and kept Djokovic away from Sinner until a potential final. (rolandgarros.com) ### Where did Djokovic land, and what does that leave him? Novak Djokovic, a three-time Roland-Garros champion, avoided Sinner’s half but did not get an empty route. Tennis365 said the Serb was handed “early hurdles,” while Roland-Garros’ live draw coverage projected a possible semifinal against Zverev if both advance that far. (rolandgarros.com) Alexander Zverev and Sinner lead the two halves as the top seeds, according to Tennis365’s draw report. That leaves the men’s bracket centered on whether anyone in the bottom half can reach the final to face Sinner, who the official tournament site described as the player most are trying to stop. (tennis365.com) ### How did the women’s draw break at the top? Aryna Sabalenka leads the women’s draw as world No. 1. Roland-Garros said Sabalenka could face Naomi Osaka in the last 16 and defending champion Coco Gauff in the semifinals, while WTA coverage said Sabalenka and Gauff are in the same half. (tennis365.com) Coco Gauff begins her title defense against Taylor Townsend, according to the WTA. The same WTA preview said four former Roland-Garros women’s champions are in the field: Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko. ### Where did Emma Raducanu end up? (tennis365.com) Emma Raducanu drew Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the first round, according to the official Roland-Garros match listing. That pairing gives Raducanu a direct route into the main draw against a South American opponent rather than a seed. Solana Sierra’s first-round match page is already posted on the Roland-Garros site, alongside the rest of the women’s bracket. (rolandgarros.com) The official schedule says women’s and men’s singles first-round matches will be played across May 24, May 25 and May 26. ### What happens next in Paris? Sunday, May 24, is the start of main-draw singles play at Roland-Garros, according to the tournament schedule. (wtatennis.com) The women’s and men’s singles finals are scheduled for June 6, with doubles finals on June 7, the WTA said. (rolandgarros.com 1) (rolandgarros.com 2)