The second Grand Slam of the tennis season, the French Open at Roland Garros, is set to begin. With 128 participants in both the men`s and women`s singles draws, players will compete for the coveted title on the clay courts of Paris.
This year`s tournament includes a special tribute on the opening day to the legendary Rafa Nadal, now retired, and is full of exciting storylines to follow throughout the two weeks.
Schedule
The main draws for men`s and women`s singles commence on Monday, May 25. The women`s singles final is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, with the men`s singles final taking place the following day, Sunday, June 8.
Note: The detailed schedule for the opening day will be released after the singles draws are held.
Key Details
Dates: May 25 to June 8
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris, France
How to Watch: In the UK, live coverage of the French Open will be broadcast on TNT Sports and available via discovery+. Updates can also be followed online.
British Hopes
British tennis fans have more reason for optimism heading into this year`s French Open, thanks to the promising clay court performances shown recently by **Jack Draper**, **Emma Raducanu**, and **Katie Boulter**.
Draper demonstrated strong form, reaching the final of the Madrid Open before a three-set loss to Casper Ruud of Norway, and then making it to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome, where his run was ended by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Although the 23-year-old has not advanced past the first round in his previous two appearances at Roland Garros, his recent results suggest he is capable of a much deeper run this time.
In the women`s draw, Emma Raducanu has successfully navigated her past difficulties on clay. A highlight was her performance at the Italian Open, where she achieved a career first by winning three consecutive matches on the surface. Her momentum was halted by American Coco Gauff in Rome, but she is aiming for further improvement at the Strasbourg Open ahead of Paris.
Katie Boulter secured only one win between Madrid and Rome against Katerina Siniakova. However, she boosted her confidence significantly by claiming the title at the WTA 125k event in Paris just last week, indicating that her game is now well-tuned for clay.
Other British players expected to feature in the singles main draws include **Jacob Fearnley**, **Jodie Burrage**, and **Sonay Kartal**.
Who are the Favourites?
In the men`s singles, it is challenging to look past **Jannik Sinner** and **Carlos Alcaraz**, who recently met in the Italian Open final, as the primary contenders for the title. Alcaraz won that encounter in two sets and is also the defending champion at Roland Garros. Sinner, the world No. 1, has shown strong form since returning to the court.
The women`s draw appears more competitive. **Iga Swiatek** is seeking her fourth consecutive French Open title and fifth overall in the last six years. However, she has shown some rare vulnerability in recent weeks, including a surprising third-round defeat to Danielle Collins at the Italian Open.
Several players pose a significant threat to Swiatek`s dominance. American **Coco Gauff** reached the finals in both Madrid and Rome, although she lost to **Aryna Sabalenka** and **Jasmine Paolini**, respectively. Both Sabalenka and Paolini are also strong contenders with their eyes on the prize.
Additionally, 18-year-old **Mirra Andreeva**, a semifinalist here last year, is enjoying a breakthrough season with two WTA 1000 event victories already, making her a formidable opponent.
Prize Money
The French Open ensures equal prize money for both the men`s and women`s singles champions, with each set to receive £2.1 million. The total prize fund for the tournament amounts to £47 million. The runners-up will earn just over £1 million, with decreasing amounts awarded to players reaching earlier rounds.
- Winner: £2,166,912
- Runner-up: £1,083,456
- Semifinal: £586,341
- Quarterfinal: £373,898
- Round 4: £225,189
- Round 3: £142,761
- Round 2: £99,423
- Round 1: £66,282
