No Alcaraz, no party? Five reasons not to miss this year’s French Open
There will be no repeat of last year’s epic, see-sawing final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the French Open this year, with the Spanish title holder nursing an injury. But there is still plenty to look forward to on the Paris clay, from a Ukrainian duo aiming for the women’s title to the last dances of Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka.
Issued on: 24/05/2026 - 17:49Modified: 24/05/2026 - 18:46
8 min Reading time Share By: Benjamin DODMAN
The French Open kicked off Sunday in sizzling temperatures and without injured defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, leaving many fans to wonder what – if anything – could stop Italy’s Jannik Sinner from lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires this year.
“It’s a dream being here – but a bittersweet one in the absence of Alcaraz,” said Noah Kouchachi, a student from Cologne in Germany, holding a “Get well soon, Carlitos” banner in the colours of the Spanish flag.
The 23-year-old said he did not see anyone capable of denying Sinner, the world No.1, the one Grand Slam title he is still chasing.
“Djoker (Novak Djokovic) is the only one who could pull it off,” he added. “But at his age – and in this heat – one has to be realistic.”
Farewell to ‘La Monf’
Djokovic is one of just two men to beat Sinner this season, having ended his Australian Open reign in an epic five-set semi-final in January. But the Serbian, who turns 39 this week, has played – and lost – just one match on clay this year, and is struggling for form as he battles to hold back time in his quest for a record 25th major.
Another ageing darling of the crowds, France’s Gaël Monfils will hang up his racquet at the end of the season and is waving goodbye to his home Grand Slam, where he takes on fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston in the first round on Monday.
The 39-year-old reached the last four in Paris in 2008, one of his two major semi-final appearances, and has won 13 ATP titles over a career spanning two decades. Despite never winning a major, his showmanship and entertaining tennis have made him a fan favourite at home and around the world.
“Never mind the Grand Slams – Gaël has brought so much more than titles to the sport,” said Roberta, a tennis fan from Italy, making her first trip to Roland Garros. “His positive, relaxed and uncomplaining attitude has always been refreshing for the sport.”
As Djokovic put it on the eve of the tournament, “I don’t know anyone that really doesn’t like Gaël.”
“La Monf” has rarely disappointed his Paris fans, even if he's never matched the feat of Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros – in 1983.
“I was not strong enough to win a Grand Slam,” Monfils told the crowd during a special tribute on the eve of the tournament. “But I perhaps won more. I won a career that I’m proud of.”
Battling for Ukraine
Monfils’s farewell event saw him team up with his wife Elina Svitolina to win a star-studded exhibition match that featured former Davis Cup teammates Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, adding a nostalgic touch to the occasion.
In a wide-open women’s draw, Svitolina is among the contenders for the French Open title after triumphing last week at the Italian Open. The 31-year-old outlasted defending Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff in the final after battling wins over world No.2 Elena Rybakina and third-ranked Iga Swiatek.
Still chasing an elusive Grand Slam title, Svitolina has adopted her partner’s calm mindset, telling reporters she’s at peace with her career and that – “it’s OK if I never win a Slam”. As in recent editions, she knows she can count on the support of French fans starved of success, who have adopted her as one of their own.
Read more‘Last French player standing’: Roland Garros crowd adopts Ukraine’s Svitolina
Svitolina, who took a maternity break in 2022, has had to work her way back from a ranking that year of No. 236. Her return to the highest level has been a source of inspiration for many female players – and for her war-torn home nation too.
She leads a group of seven Ukrainians in the top 100 of the women’s rankings. They include world No.15 Marta Kostyuk, seen as another Roland Garros hopeful after her breakthrough win at the Madrid Open earlier this year.
Kostyuk – who has not shaken hands with Russian players since the 2022 invasion – enjoyed plenty of support during her first-round match on Sunday, a straight-sets win over Oksana Selekhmeteva, who was born in Russia but obtained Spanish nationality four days ago.
“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my life. This morning, 100 metres from my parent’s house, a missile fell,” Kostyuk said on Court Simonne-Mathieu, dedicating her win to the people of Ukraine.
One of several spectators wrapped in the blue-and-yellow colours of Ukraine, 35-year-old Viktoria cheered from the stands: “Last night, like every night, Russian bombs rained down on our cities,” she said. “When the girls play and win matches here at Roland-Garros, it’s a gift to our families and our people back home.”
Wawrinka’s (in)famous shorts
Another non-French darling of Roland Garros, Stan Wawrinka is also safely through to the second round on his 21st appearance here – but without even playing.
The 2015 champion, whose first-round opponent Arthur Fils has pulled out injured, is making his last appearance at the French Open, aged 41. It promises to be another emotional farewell on the Paris clay – depriving the sport of one of the great one-handed backhands, which has long captivated the game’s purists.
“I grew up on clay, grew up watching clay-court specialists, I grew up watching Roland Garros dreaming about maybe playing one day. It is part of me,” the Swiss said in an interview with French Open organisers.
Wawrinka’s stunning 2015 run, when he defeated Djokovic in the final after downing Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, is fondly remembered by tennis aficionados. So are the striking pink checkered shorts he wore that year, which are now at the nearby tennis museum.
Whether the unlikely fashion item makes a final bow on Court Philippe Chatrier remains to be seen.
“One needs to ask the museum, I’m not sure if they need to be cleaned beforehand,” the three-time Grand Slam champion joked during his pre-tournament press conference. “I had not planned that, I’ll think about it.”
Rafa’s comeback
The last-minute exit of Arthur Fils, due to a hip injury, has deprived the French of their best chance of a home player making it to the second week this year.
“It’s baffling that we can’t produce a Grand Slam candidate,” said French Open habitué Alexandre, looking on as his children tested virtual-reality glasses at one of many stands tailored for youths.
“And it’s infuriating when you see that Spain seems to produce a new one each year,” he added.
Spain’s latest teenage sensation, Rafael Jodar, has rocketed this year from 165th in the world to 29th on the back of a string of good performances on clay, including winning his first tour-level title in Marrakesh in March.
The 19-year-old has gone on to make last-eight runs at both the Madrid and Italian Opens, as well as reaching the semi-finals in Barcelona, and is seen by many players and pundits as a future Grand Slam winner.
“Spain always had incredible players, now you have one more,” Sinner wrote on social media after defeating the new ‘Rafa’ at the Madrid Open earlier this year.
But while he shares the same first name and nationality as 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal, the Spanish teen has told reporters that he plans to do things his way.
“Being from the same country as Carlos (Alcaraz) and Rafa (Nadal), doesn’t mean you are going to accomplish or achieve the same things that they have,” Jodar cautioned ahead of his first-round clash with Aleksandar Kovacevic of the US.
The heat factor
While the young Jodar ultimately proved too green to really threaten Sinner in Madrid, sweltering conditions in Paris could yet produce an upset.
The French Open’s iconic panama hats were out en force on Sunday as spectators sought shelter from the scorching sun and players slogged it out in temperatures hitting 31 degrees Celsius.
Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina battled for over four hours in gruelling conditions, with the Spaniard prevailing in five sets. Other matches were a lot shorter, with experts predicting that days of intense heat could make the clay courts faster than usual.
“All the points I saw rarely exceeded four shots. The conditions will be very hot and very fast this year at Roland Garros,” said veteran tennis reporter José Morgado.
Those conditions could prove a sterner challenge for Sinner than many of his opponents. The Italian suffered from cramps at the Australian Open in January when temperatures neared 40C, and he appeared to be sick during his tough battle with Russia’s Danil Medvedev in Rome earlier in May.
“I don’t see any player capable of beating Sinner this year,” said Kouchachi, the fan from Cologne. “But the heat could still beat him.”
Advertising Keywords for this articleСхожі новини
No Bakrid sacrifice at public places, no road blockade for namaz: Yogi Adityanath
Novak Djokovic survives early scare, dances his way into second round
New West Asia order? Trump asks Gulf nations to join Abraham Accords post Iran deal
