Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff won the French Open singles titles last year, but only one has a chance to defend their crown in 2026.
World number two, Alcaraz, won’t return to defend his Roland Garros title, having withdrawn from the event due to injury.
Gauff, on the other hand, can become a two-time French Open champion next month.
Will players regret their decision to walk out of press conferences at Roland Garros?
Tensions are high in Paris!
But who is Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, backing in Paris this year?
Rick Macci picks Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner as his French Open winners
Macci predicted the 2026 French Open winners on X.
“The French Open draw is out,” said Macci.
“My pick to click is the Italian red rocket Jannik Sinner over grind all day, Norway’s finest Casper Ruud.
“I feel the Belarus bomber Aryna Sabalenka will grab the title over the Kazakhstan crusher Elena Rybakina.”
Rick Macci’s French Open predictions
- 2026 French Open men’s final – Jannik Sinner defeats Casper Ruud
- 2026 French Open women’s final – Aryna Sabalenka defeats Elena Rybakina
Macci thinks Aryna Sabalenka will avenge her Australian Open final defeat to Elena Rybakina by taking the French Open title.
And like many others, Macci expects Jannik Sinner to complete his Career Grand Slam in Paris.
Macci has made his picks, but do the fans agree?
Ahead of the French Open, we asked our fans on TalkingPoints to predict the winners of the men’s and women’s singles titles.
Unsurprisingly, 67% backed Sinner to take the title, having watched the Italian dominate the clay-court season.
Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are second and third-favourite, ahead of Casper Ruud, who Macci believes will reach the final.
TalkingPoints vote share – 2026 French Open men’s singles
| Player | Vote share | French Open titles | French Open record | French Open win % |
| Jannik Sinner | 67% | 0 | 22-6 | 79% |
| Novak Djokovic | 12% | 3 | 101-17 | 86% |
| Alexander Zverev | 8% | 0 | 38-10 | 79% |
| Casper Ruud | 6% | 0 | 24-8 | 75% |
| Other | 3% | – | – | – |
| Rafael Jodar | 3% | 0 | – | – |
| Arthur Fils | 2% | 0 | 2-2 | 50% |
The women’s draw is far less predictable, although one player earned 10% more votes than the rest of the field.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek is a four-time champion, and 27% of our TalkingPoints fans think she has what it takes to win a fifth title this year.
The defending champion, Gauff, received 17% of the vote, as did Sabalenka, Macci’s pick for the title.
Rybakina was close behind on 16%, ahead of ‘other’, which could include the likes of Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, who won the two WTA 1000 events on clay this season.
TalkingPoints vote share – 2026 French Open women’s singles
| Player | Vote share | French Open titles | French Open record | French Open win % |
| Iga Swiatek | 27% | 4 | 40-3 | 93% |
| Coco Gauff | 17% | 1 | 27-5 | 84% |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 17% | 0 | 22-8 | 73% |
| Elena Rybakina | 16% | 0 | 16-6 | 73% |
| Other | 15% | – | – | – |
| Alexandra Eala | 3% | 0 | 0-1 | 0% |
| Mirra Andreeva | 2% | 0 | 11-3 | 79% |
| Emma Raducanu | 2% | 0 | 2-2 | 50% |
| Jessica Pegula | 2% | 0 | 11-6 | 65% |
Alexandra Eala, Mirra Andreeva, Emma Raducanu, and Jessica Pegula combined for less than 10% of the vote.
It remains to be seen who will lift the title in Paris, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action!
Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner’s routes to the French Open title
Macci picked Sabalenka and Sinner as his 2026 French Open winners.
But how will they lift the trophy this year?
Sabalenka shouldn’t have too much trouble in her opening few matches, although she may face a tough test in round four.
The Belarusian could meet Japan’s Naomi Osaka, a fellow four-time Grand Slam champion.
If she passes that test, she can look forward to a quarter-final tie with Pegula.
Pegula made a fine start to her clay-court season, winning the title in Charleston, but struggled to maintain that level in Madrid and Rome.
Sabalenka could then set up a rematch of the 2025 final, which she lost to Gauff.
The American reached the final of the Italian Open recently, but has yet to solve her serving problems.
Then, Sabalenka might play Rybakina, a match that Macci is backing the Belarusian to win.
Like Sabalenka, Sinner can’t complain about his French Open draw.
Unless something extraordinary happens, the Italian should reach the final.
Which player is most likely to stop Jannik Sinner from winning the French Open? 🤔
However, it’s there that he could meet either Zverev or Djokovic.
Sinner has won his last nine matches against Zverev, but lost to Djokovic at the previous Grand Slam tournament.
- 2026 Australian Open SF – Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Will Sinner return to winning ways against the Serb, or will Djokovic win his 25th major?
Only time will tell.
The 2026 French Open main draw begins on Sunday, May 24.
