The second Grand Slam of the year has well and truly commenced.
The likes of Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic will compete for one of tennis’ greatest titles over the next fortnight.
Give us your one wild prediction for Roland Garros!
Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two, has been left unable to defend his French Open title event after suffering a wrist injury in Barcelona.
Alcaraz’s absence has given many of his rivals a greater opportunity to achieve career-firsts: whether it be Alexander Zverev winning his first Grand Slam title, or Jannik Sinner completing the coveted ‘Career Grand Slam.’
Jannik Sinner is the clear favourite in Paris, but who else has performed well on the clay this year?
Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner, to the surprise of absolutely no one, has won the most clay-court ATP points of any player on the Tour this year.
The Italian, who reclaimed the world number one spot from Carlos Alcaraz in April, has won 3,000 ATP ranking points throughout April and May following triumphs in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
In fact, Sinner has not lost a match since Qatar Open – a tournament that took place at the start of February.
The 24-year-old is on a 29-match winning streak, and he will take some stopping in Paris.
Sinner will begin his French Open campaign against Clement Tabur on Monday.
Jannik Sinner’s clay-court campaign so far
- Monte Carlo: defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 6-3 in the final
- Madrid: defeated Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in the final
- Rome: defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the final
Alexander Zverev
Zverev, a former finalist in the French capital, has collected 1,350 clay-court points this year.
The German star achieved this total after making semi-final appearances in Monte Carlo and Munich, a final appearance in Madrid, and a fourth round appearance in Rome.
Zverev, one of the best players to have never won a Grand Slam title, will begin his 2026 French Open campaign against Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday.
Zverev and Bonzi – who defeated Daniil Medvedev at two Grand Slam events last year – have never played each other before on the ATP Tour.
If Zverev beats Bonzi in Paris, he will play Tomas Machac or Zizou Bergs in the second round.
Do you really believe that Alexander Zverev can win a Grand Slam title?
Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud is in fine form heading into the 2026 French Open.
The Norwegian, a two-time finalist in the French capital, recently qualified for the Italian Open final – before losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
During the clay-court swing, Ruud has also recorded a round of 16 appearance in Monte Carlo and a quarter-final appearance in Madrid.
As a result, Ruud has accumulated 950 ATP ranking points across the clay-court swing – the third-most of any ATP player.
Ruud, the 15th seed, will play qualifier Roman Safuillin in the first round of the 2026 French Open.
Arthur Fils
Unfortunately for French tennis fans, Arthur Fils will not compete at this year’s French Open event.
The Frenchman, who is yet to play a single Grand Slam main-draw match, has withdrawn from the event after feeling pain in his hip and/or lower back area.
Fils’ withdrawal will come as a great shame to many: he had performed superbly since returning from a long-term injury in February.
The 21-year-old won the fourth-most ATP points [910] across the clay-court swing: he won the Barcelona Open title and reached the semi-finals in Madrid, before retiring from his first match in Rome.
Rafael Jodar
Jodar, who only turned professional at the start of this year, is quite possibly the most exciting young talent on the ATP Tour.
The 19-year-old Spaniard has become a household name on the Tour as a result of his performances throughout the clay-court swing.
The youngster, who has won 850 ranking points since the start of April, began the clay-court swing by reaching the Barcelona Open semi-finals.
Can Rafael Jodar fill the void left by Carlos Alcaraz?
He's certainly stepped up in his absence so far…
Since then, Jodar has made quarter-finals appearances in Madrid and Rome, beating the likes of Alex de Minaur, Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien.
Jodar is certainly one to watch in Paris, and he will play American Aleksandar Kovacevic in his French Open first-round match.
