Roland Garros 2026 Draw TODAY: Sinner "Almost Unbeatable" Without Alcaraz, Djokovic Chasing Historic 25th Slam

The most romantic garden in tennis, Roland Garros, holds the main draw for its 2026 edition on Thursday, May 21 at 14:00 Paris local time. The season's second Grand Slam runs from May 24 to June 7. With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz absent due to a wrist injury, the tournament represents a chance for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner to make history. The Italian, with a first Roland Garros victory, could complete the career Grand Slam at age 24 — a feat only a handful of male players have achieved.

Sinner arrives at the tournament in extraordinary form: by winning the Italian Open in Rome, he completed the set of all 9 Masters 1000 trophies (career Golden Masters), becoming the only other player besides Djokovic to achieve this feat. He lost the 2025 Roland Garros final to Alcaraz 4-6, 6-7(4-7), 6-4, 7-6(7-3), 7-6(10-2) in 5 sets, missing the career Slam by a single point. Alex Corretja told TNT Sports that without Alcaraz, Sinner is "almost unbeatable," while Tennis Up to Date's editor said "case closed." The whole world is wondering what miraculous circumstance could deny the Italian victory.

Standing against him is the still-unretired 38-year-old Novak Djokovic. The Serb legend, tied with Margaret Court's all-time 24 Grand Slams, wants to stand alone with a 25th. But his preparation has been worrying: he played only three tournaments all season, exited in the first round at Rome, and missed his chance at the Geneva Open. The Olympic gold medallist arrives in Paris with just one match played on clay this season. Boris Becker recently said he "won't retire without 25 majors." The whole tennis world wonders whether Djokovic is physically ready.

Another important dimension of the tournament is its hosting of two historic farewells. The 38-year-old Frenchman Gaël Monfils and the 41-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka (2015 champion) will take to the Roland Garros courts for the final time. Another headline is the 19-year-old Spaniard Rada Jódar — coming off Masters 1000 quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome. Home favorite Arthur Fils, the 21-year-old, found form by winning Barcelona and arrives as the French faithful's hope.

In the women's draw, the picture is altogether different. American Coco Gauff is aiming to become only the third player to defend the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen this century (after Henin and Iga Świątek). The WTA Tour is at its most competitive level in recent memory — five different Grand Slam champions in the last five tournaments. Another big story: Venus Williams' return after a 5-year absence; the 44-year-old four-time Olympic champion will play doubles with breakthrough star Hailey Baptiste. The draw will be watched at 14:00 tomorrow; 20,000+ spectators per day are expected, with first-round matches beginning Sunday, May 24.

Source: Based on reports from Olympics.com, TNT Sports (with Alex Corretja's commentary), Tennis Up to Date, Tennis Temple, Pro Football Network, and NBC News on the 2026 Roland Garros draw and favorites.