Roland Garros Main Draw Ceremony to Take Place Tomorrow in Paris
On Thursday, May 21, the opponents of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and other stars will be revealed. The second Grand Slam of the season kicks off on May 24 on the clay courts of Paris.
Main Event
On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the main draw ceremony for Roland Garros—the second Grand Slam of the season—will take place in Paris. The event begins at 2:00 PM local time (3:00 PM Moscow time) in the famous Serres d'Auteuil greenhouse garden. Following the draw, the 128 participants in the men's and women's singles draws will learn their first-round opponents.
The main intrigue of the ceremony is the placement of the world's top-ranked players in the tournament bracket. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will lead the seeding, followed by Alexander Zverev and three-time Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic.
Details and Statistics
The men's tournament seeding has already been determined based on the ATP rankings. The 32 seeded players include the following tennis players:
- Jannik Sinner (Italy) — No. 1
- Alexander Zverev (Germany) — No. 2
- Novak Djokovic (Serbia) — No. 3
- Félix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) — No. 4
- Ben Shelton (USA) — No. 5
- Taylor Fritz (USA) — No. 6
- Daniil Medvedev — No. 7
- Alex de Minaur (Australia) — No. 8
A seeded status guarantees that a player will not face another top-32 player in the first or second rounds. This makes the draw especially important for players ranked in the second and third tiers, who could theoretically meet Sinner or Djokovic as early as the third round.
The tournament's prize fund for 2026 is $72.37 million, a 9.5% increase over last season. The winners of the men's and women's singles will each receive $3.28 million. However, this increase has drawn criticism from leading players: a group of top-20 players, including Sinner, Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka, issued a joint statement noting that the prize fund still represents less than 15% of the tournament's total revenue, which reached $463 million in 2025.
Qualifying matches began on May 18 and will run through May 22. The main draw will be contested from May 24 to June 7. Matches will be held on the courts of the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, including the main arena—Court Philippe Chatrier—where evening sessions are traditionally held.
Context and Significance
The 2026 Roland Garros will take place under radically different conditions compared to previous editions. Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the tournament due to a wrist injury. This has completely reshuffled the dynamics in the men's draw.
Alcaraz's absence has turned Jannik Sinner into the undisputed favorite. Betting odds are telling: 1.30 (or -260 in American format) for the Italian to win—one of the lowest odds for a Grand Slam event in recent years. Before the Spaniard's withdrawal, Sinner's odds were around -110, reflecting a radical shift in expectations.
For Novak Djokovic, this Roland Garros represents another attempt to claim a record 25th Grand Slam title. His odds to win are 10.00 (+1100), placing him third among favorites after Sinner and Zverev. Alexander Zverev is at 7.50 (+700).
Special attention is due to the younger generation: Arthur Fils (odds 17.00), Rafael Khodar (19.00), João Fonseca (23.00), and Casper Ruud (23.00) are seen by analysts as potential upset-makers.
What's Next
Schedule of key events for Roland Garros 2026:
- Qualifying: May 18–22
- Main Draw Ceremony: May 21, 2:00 PM CEST
- First Round: May 24–26
- Second Round: May 27–28
- Third Round: May 29–30
- Fourth Round: May 31 – June 1
- Quarterfinals: June 2–3
- Women's Semifinals: June 4
- Men's Semifinals: June 5
- Women's Final: June 6, 11:00 AM
- Men's Final: June 7, not before 3:00 PM
Editorial Prediction
Sinner enters the tournament as the clear favorite, and this is fully justified by his clay-court results this season. Alcaraz's absence deprives the tournament of its leading specialist on this surface and opens a direct path for the Italian to his first Paris title. Djokovic, despite his age, remains a dangerous opponent in the best-of-five format and will be motivated by the prospect of a 25th Slam. A key factor could be the Serb's physical readiness: if the draw does not hand him a grueling first-week schedule, he could reach the decisive stages and challenge Sinner in a potential semifinal.
— Editorial Team
