Roland Garros 2026: 10 players to watch out for in Paris
• 4 minute read
There have been lots of exciting storylines across the WTA and ATP Tours over this clay court swing, setting us up for what promises to be a blockbuster Roland Garros.
Starting with qualifying on 18 May and finishing on 7 June, the second Grand Slam of the season will see the best stars from across the world battle it out for one of the biggest prizes in the sport.
We spotlight 10 British and international players to watch out for this year at Roland Garros.
Katie Boulter
Britain’s Katie Boulter has been the first to admit that clay isn’t always her favourite surface. Until last year, the 29-year-old had never won a tour-level match on clay – but what a difference a year makes.
Having played a key role in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers on clay last year, Boulter went on to lift her first title at the WTA 125 Paris and won her first match at Roland Garros.
This year she’s picked up where she left off. A quarter-final run at the Rouen Open was followed by a victory over Taylor Townsend in Madrid, before just losing out to world No.5 Jessica Pegula.
It’s noticeable how much more comfortable Boulter looks on the clay, and she will be a dangerous prospect in the French capital this year.
Cam Norrie
Cam Norrie’s rise back to the top of the game over the last 12 months has been impressive, and the Briton could be set for a top 16 seeding at this year’s French Open.
Norrie made the fourth round in Paris last year – his career-best – before going on to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
A player for the big moment, Norrie has shown an ability to lift his level in the toughest events. He has recently made the quarter-finals in Indian Wells and Barcelona, as well as a fourth round in Madrid.
A two-time title winner on clay and with a physical game style that is well suited to the surface, don’t be surprised if Norrie has a deep run again this year.
Elena Rybakina
Much like in the men’s game, two players seem to be distancing themselves at the top of the WTA Tour this season.
While Aryna Sabalenka was the queen of the Sunshine Swing, Elena Rybakina defeated the world No.1 in the Australian Open final and recently took home the Stuttgart Open WTA 500 title on clay.
Neither Rybakina or Sabalenka have won Roland Garros before, but given the recent form of four-time champion Iga Swiatek and last year’s winner Coco Gauff, they will be considered the standout favourites for the women’s singles titles.
For Rybakina, this is an opportunity to significantly close the gap on reaching world No.1 for the first time in her career and capture the first two majors of the year going into Wimbledon.
Jannik Sinner
With the recent announcement that reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz will miss Roland Garros this year, Jannik Sinner is the overwhelming favourite in Paris.
The Italian came within one point of his first French Open title last year before losing to the Spaniard in a five-set thriller.
The Parisian Grand Slam remains one of the few trophies he’s yet to win. Should he claim it this year, he’ll join Alcaraz in completing the ‘career Grand Slam’.
Sinner couldn’t be in better form. Recently, he became the first man to win five consecutive the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, including this year’s Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.
Francesca Jones
There will be 12 British players in qualifying this year, including British No.4 Francesca Jones, who narrowly missed out on a place in the main draw.
Yet to make her debut at Roland Garros, Jones is definitely one to keep an eye on, playing on what has proved to be her favourite surface.
Jones has won 11 singles titles in her professional career – all of which have come on clay. Last year especially, her performances on the surface helped her climb inside the world’s top 100 – winning WTA 125 titles in Contexeville and Palermo.
With lots of British interest in qualifying, Jones looks poised to hopefully be one of several strong performers.
Rafael Jodar
The rising star of the clay court season has been 19-year-old Rafael Jodar of Spain.
Jodar has made an incredible start to his professional career, with the former NCAA player winning 17 of his first 25 tour-level matches – more than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
He made headlines in Marrakech, winning one of the first clay court titles of the year before making the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open.
Playing in his home tournament at the Mutua Madrid Open he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final before losing out to Sinner. The world No.1 said after their recent battle “He pushed me to the limit, he’s an incredible player.”
The Spanish star has continued his ascent at the Italian Open, where he's reached another ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Mirra Andreeva
While still only 19 herself, Mirra Andreeva has set herself up as one of the front runners to challenge for silverware at Roland Garros.
Andreeva has already won two titles this season, in Adelaide and more recently in Linz, as well as making the final in Madrid, and semi-final in Stuttgart, where she defeated Swiatek in a three set battle.
Roland Garros has been her most successful Grand Slams so far in her career. She reached the semi-final two years ago at just 17 and made quarter-finals last year. Could this be the year for Andreeva in Paris?
Arthur Fils
After an injury-stricken 2025 season, Arthur Fils has made an electric comeback to the ATP Tour.
The big-hitting Frenchman has returned at a high level, winning the Barcelona Open, making the final in Doha, semi-final in Madrid and quarter-finals in Miami.
Fils will be hoping to meet the expectations of a home crowd that hasn’t seen a French men’s singles finalist since Henri Leconte in 1988.
However, injury concerns have raised their head again after the Frenchman was forced to retire in Rome. It's unclear as yet whether he will be ready in time to compete in Paris, but should he recover in time, Fils will fancy his chances to beat his career-best third round run at a Grand Slam
Marta Kostyuk
Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk the in-form player on clay so far this year on the WTA Tour and is yet to lose on the surface.
She began the clay swing with her second career WTA title at the Rouen Open, before going on to win her first WTA 1000 event at the Mutua Madrid Open – defeating Andreeva in the final.
The 23-year-old is currently at her career-high ranking of world No.15. She’s had success at the French Open in the past, making the fourth round in 2021 and also reaching the women’s doubles semi-finals in 2024.
Flavio Cobolli
Italy’s Flavio Cobolli has got better and better as this season has gone on. Following a first round exit to Britain’s Arthur Fery at the Australian Open, Cobolli returned to his best to win the ATP 500 event in Acapulco at the end of February.
On the clay, Cobolli seems to be improving with each passing week. Following a second round exit in Monte Carlo, he went on to make the final in Munich, beating world No.3 Alexander Zverev, and reached the Madrid Open semi-finals.
Now at a career-high world No.12, Cobolli will benefit from that crucial top 16 seeding in this year’s Roland Garros draw.
