French Open 2026 Tips & Predictions | Roland Garros Preview & Aussie Contingent

French Open Tips

Roland Garros returns to Paris from Sunday 25 May to Sunday 7 June 2026 for the 125th edition of the French Open — and the men's draw has already been thrown wide open.

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Roland Garros 2026 is complete — and it crowned a maiden Grand Slam champion. With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz a pre-tournament withdrawal and world #1 Jannik Sinner sensationally bounced in the second round by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, the men’s draw blew wide open — and Alexander Zverev seized the moment, beating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final for his first major. Aryna Sabalenka headed the women’s seeds. Of the twelve Australians in the main draws, the contingent was led by Alex de Minaur. Full result below, with our market recap and the betting angles that landed. For more tennis tips, see our tennis hub; for a full bookmaker comparison, our tennis betting sites guide.

🏆 Result: The 2026 French Open is complete — Alexander Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 for his maiden Grand Slam title. Read the full final result & match stats →

Next major: grass-court season is here — see our Wimbledon 2026 tips & odds.

Roland Garros 2026 Key Dates

Phase Dates (Paris time)
Qualifying Mon 18 – Sat 23 May 2026
Main draw R1 (singles) Sun 24 / Mon 25 May 2026
Round of 16 Sun 31 May – Mon 1 June
Quarter-finals Tue 2 – Wed 3 June
Semi-finals Thu 4 (W) – Fri 5 June (M)
Women’s Final Sat 6 June 2026
Men’s Final Sun 7 June 2026

Total prize money is €61.7 million, up 9.5% on 2025. Notably, Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam that has retained human line judges for 2026 — every other major has gone fully electronic.

Men’s Singles — Zverev Favourite After Sinner’s Shock Exit

With Carlos Alcaraz out and top seed Jannik Sinner stunned in the second round, the men’s bracket blew wide open — and Alexander Zverev went on to take the title, beating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final for his maiden Grand Slam.

Contender Form / Angle
Jannik Sinner (#1) World #1, four Slam titles already, but Roland Garros is the missing one. Best showing was 2025 final loss to Alcaraz. With the defending champ out, this is his clearest path yet.
Novak Djokovic Three-time Roland Garros champion. Movement on clay is the question mark at 38, but his match-play craft on the surface remains second to none.
Alexander Zverev Two-time finalist. Has taken his clay game to a higher level over the past two seasons. Genuine each-way value behind Sinner.
Casper Ruud Beaten finalist in 2022 and 2023. The most accomplished pure clay-courter in the field after Alcaraz’s withdrawal.
Lorenzo Musetti 2025 semi-finalist. Italian’s one-handed backhand is purpose-built for Roland Garros clay.
Alex de Minaur (#7) Top-ranked Aussie, 2024 Roland Garros quarter-finalist. The deeper draw without Alcaraz puts his fourth-round / QF ceiling realistically higher than ever.

Women’s Singles — Sabalenka v Gauff Headline

Aryna Sabalenka enters as world #1 and the player to beat, but defending champion Coco Gauff has the home-of-her-best-Slam factor — Gauff broke through for her maiden Roland Garros crown in 2025.

Contender Form / Angle
Aryna Sabalenka (#1) World #1 and the betting favourite. Three Slams to her name but still chasing a maiden Roland Garros title.
Coco Gauff (defending) Defending champion, brilliant clay mover, and the only player in the field who has actually lifted the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen.
Iga Świątek Four-time Roland Garros champion (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024). The Pole’s best surface — never write her off in Paris.
Elena Rybakina Big-hitting Slam winner who has improved markedly on clay. Each-way contender at $25-$35.
Jasmine Paolini Beaten finalist in 2024. Italian quickness and shot-tolerance suit Paris perfectly.
Daria Kasatkina (AUS) First Roland Garros wearing green and gold after switching nationality from Russia. 2022 semi-finalist — strong on clay and slated as a dark-horse pick for the second week.

 

The Australian Contingent — 11 in the Main Draw

Australia has its biggest Roland Garros squad in years, with 11 players directly accepted into the singles main draw plus more chances through qualifying and wildcards. Tennis Australia confirmed the contingent on 21 April 2026.

Men’s Singles (7)

Player R1 Opponent Notes
Alex de Minaur (#7) Qualifier Top-ranked Aussie. 2024 Roland Garros QF — has the clay results to back a deep run. Kind opener gives him a free pass into week one.
Alexei Popyrin Zachary Svajda (USA) Big-serving veteran with multiple ATP titles. Winnable opener against a clay non-specialist.
Thanasi Kokkinakis (PR #84) Térence Atmane (FRA) Using protected ranking after a long shoulder layoff. Hostile crowd on Atmane’s home court — comeback meets adversity.
James Duckworth Gabriel Diallo (CAN) Clay-court grinder vs. a 6’8″ Canadian server. Stylistic mismatch but Ducky has the legs.
Aleksandar Vukic Raphael Collignon (BEL) One of the more winnable Aussie openers — Collignon is outside the top 80.
Rinky Hijikata Tommy Paul (USA) Squeezed in on the direct-acceptance cut and immediately drew a top-15 American. Tough first-up.
Adam Walton Daniil Medvedev (#6) The toughest draw of any Aussie. Medvedev’s clay struggles are well-documented but the gap in level is steep.

Women’s Singles (5)

Player R1 Opponent Notes
Daria Kasatkina (AUS) Zeynep Sönmez (TUR) 2022 Roland Garros semi-finalist. Now under the Australian flag and handed the most navigable women’s draw of any Aussie — clearest path to week two.
Maya Joint (#29) Anastasia Potapova (#28) Highest-ranked locally-developed Aussie. Back from a back injury that kept her out since Indian Wells — and immediately drew a fellow seed in R1. Brutal.
Talia Gibson Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) Maiden Roland Garros main draw. House money — anything beyond R1 is gravy.
Kimberly Birrell Jessica Pegula (#5) Veteran tour campaigner drew the second-hardest assignment of the Aussie contingent — a top-five American.
Ajla Tomljanović Caty McNally (USA) Former US Open quarter-finalist back in a Slam main draw. Winnable opener against a fellow comeback story.

Aussies in Qualifying

Two Australians flew the flag in this week’s Roland Garros qualifying draw: Daria Saville on the women’s side (ranked just outside the direct-entry cut at WTA #134) and Tristan Schoolkate in the men’s. Q3 — the final round — plays out on Thursday 22 May, with winners locking in main-draw places. Any Aussie qualifiers add to the 11 direct acceptances above and open up additional Top Australian and outright-bracket angles once the draw is finalised.

Top-Aussie market angle: de Minaur is the obvious pick on the men’s side, but Kasatkina is a genuinely live each-way option in any “Top Aussie Woman” market — her clay record is far better than the rest of the women’s contingent combined.

 

French Open Betting Markets

Market Description
Outright Winner These were the pre-tournament prices — the men’s market has since been turned on its head: Alcaraz withdrew, then favourite Sinner fell in the second round, leaving Alexander Zverev the new frontrunner. Sabalenka and Gauff continue to lead the women’s market.
Match Winner Per-match head-to-head. Best line-shopping opportunity day-of-play.
Set Betting Predict the exact set count (e.g. 3-0, 3-1, 3-2). Huge value when you have a strong read on a heavy favourite winning in straight sets.
Total Games / Sets Over/under on the match length. Best-of-five clay men’s matches often run long.
Half / Quarter Winner Tournament-section markets. Useful when you fancy a contender to make the final / final four but not necessarily win the title.
Top Australian A focused angle for the local contingent. de Minaur is the men’s pick at short odds; Kasatkina is the live each-way play among the women.
Same Game Multi Combine match winner + set total + games line into one bet. See our SGM guide.

 

French Open Recent Champions

Year Men’s Champion Women’s Champion
2025 Carlos Alcaraz Coco Gauff
2024 Carlos Alcaraz Iga Świątek
2023 Novak Djokovic Iga Świątek
2022 Rafael Nadal Iga Świątek
2021 Novak Djokovic Barbora Krejčíková

 

How to Watch Roland Garros 2026 in Australia

The French Open is broadcast in Australia on Stan Sport, with every singles match available live and on-demand. Coverage runs through the night and into the morning AEST given the 8-hour Paris time difference — most early-round matches start from 7pm Paris time (3am AEST), with the night sessions on Court Philippe-Chatrier from 8.15pm Paris (4.15am AEST). The men’s final on 7 June is scheduled for 3pm Paris (11pm AEST) — Australia’s best-time-zone Slam final.

 

Best Bookmakers for French Open Betting

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French Open 2026 FAQs

When does the French Open 2026 start?

Qualifying begins Monday 18 May 2026; the singles main draw starts Sunday 24 May 2026. The men’s final is Sunday 7 June 2026 and the women’s final is Saturday 6 June 2026.

Is Carlos Alcaraz playing the 2026 French Open?

No — Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament with a wrist injury and will not defend his 2024 and 2025 titles. The men’s draw has been reseeded around his absence.

Who is the favourite for the 2026 French Open?

Alexander Zverev won the 2026 French Open, beating Flavio Cobolli in the final for his first Grand Slam title. He had become favourite during the tournament after Jannik Sinner’s second-round exit and Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal.

Which Australians are in the 2026 French Open?

Eleven Australians are confirmed in the singles main draws — six men (Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis, James Duckworth, Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata) and five women (Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, Kimberly Birrell, Ajla Tomljanović). More will enter via qualifying and wildcards.

Where can I watch the French Open 2026 in Australia?

Stan Sport has the exclusive Australian broadcast rights and streams every singles match live. The men’s final is the most Aussie-friendly time slot at 11pm AEST on Sunday 7 June 2026.

How much is the French Open 2026 prize money?

Total prize pool is €61.7 million, up 9.5% on 2025. Singles champions take home roughly €2.55 million each.

For more tennis tips and Slam coverage including Wimbledon and the US Open, browse our tennis hub. For multi-leg bet building see our Same Game Multi guide.