The clay-court season reaches its pinnacle with the 125th edition of the French Open.
Jannik Sinner is the overwhelming favorite to lift his first Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy, with Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined due to a wrist injury. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff is riding a ton of momentum entering her bid to repeat as champion on the women's side.
Here are six storylines to watch when the opening round begins Sunday in Paris.
Sinner eyes career Grand Slam
Sinner can complete his Grand Slam trophy set with a title run at Roland Garros. The World No. 1 fell agonizingly short in last year's championship showdown against Alcaraz, squandering a two-set lead and three match points in the longest French Open final of the Open era. But Sinner won't have to worry about his Spanish rival this time around.
The 24-year-old is also playing at an extraordinary level, riding a 29-match winning streak while dropping only three sets during that span. Sinner dominated the first five Masters 1000 events of the season, including sweeping the clay-court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome. He joins Novak Djokovic as the only men to have captured all nine Masters 1000 titles over the course of their career, accomplishing the feat just 33 months after hoisting his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto.
If Sinner's the last man standing in Paris, he'll take sole possession of the third-longest winning streak in the ATP Tour era and move within seven victories of Djokovic's all-time mark of 43.
Coco's title defense
Gauff is rounding into form ahead of her French Open title defense. The two-time Grand Slam champ picked up victories over Iva Jovic, Mirra Andreeva, and Sorana Cirstea before falling to Elina Svitolina in last week's Italian Open final. Gauff also finished runner-up in Rome last season before breaking through a few weeks later in Paris.
The American star was tested mentally throughout her recent run in Italy, winning three matches after dropping the opening set and overcoming a match point in her Round of 16 triumph over Jovic. Gauff consistently finds ways to get the job done, even when she isn't playing her best tennis. Perhaps the most encouraging sign during the Italian Open was that she averaged just over four double faults per match.
Gauff has become a formidable force on clay, with six of her 16 tournament finals coming on the surface. At Roland Garros, she's 27-5 and has made the second week in each of her previous five appearances. Her earliest French Open exit was the second round in her main-draw debut six years ago.
Djokovic's limited play
What can we expect from Djokovic? Nobody would be shocked if the Serbian legend crashed out early or somehow emerged from the field to capture a 25th Grand Slam crown.
Djokovic has played only 10 matches this season, with six of those coming during a surprise Australian Open final run that featured a five-set comeback win over Sinner. However, Djokovic is 2-2 in his last four matches, including a stunning defeat to Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic in his lone French Open tuneup. Despite the shocking result, Djokovic said he was "pleased" with his effort against the 79th-ranked player and decided not to compete in another event prior to Roland Garros.
While it's certainly not the most conventional approach, Djokovic is one of the few players who could get away with minimal preparation. Doubts surrounded Djokovic last year when he lost his opening matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid, but then he went on to win the Geneva Open title and eventually reach the French Open semis.
Sabalenka looking human
Aryna Sabalenka was nearly unstoppable at the beginning of the 2026 campaign, winning 23 of her first 24 matches, including the rare Sunshine Double. But the World No. 1 has looked human during the clay-court portion of the schedule, going a combined 4-2 at the Madrid and Italian Opens. Her third-round exit at the hands of Cirstea in Rome was her earliest elimination since being ousted in the Round of 16 at the Dubai Championships in February 2025. To further complicate matters, Sabalenka took a medical timeout in the third set of her matchup with Cirstea after experiencing lower-back pain.
Sabalenka was bound to have a dip in form despite her consistency over the past 15 months. The four-time major champ's weakest surface is clay, so it shouldn't be too shocking that she hasn't been as dominant. Nevertheless, Sabalenka remains a huge threat and was one set away from hoisting her first French Open trophy last year.
Monfils' final French Open
Gael Monfils was granted a main-draw wild card for his final French Open. The 39-year-old plans to retire at the end of the year and will be honored following his last match in Paris.
Monfils is the last man standing from "The New Musketeers," which also consisted of countrymen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, and Richard Gasquet. The quartet was expected to usher in a new era of French tennis and compete for major trophies like their predecessors Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and Rene Lacoste.
Having won three junior majors, Monfils was arguably the most promising prospect in the group. The 6-foot-4 Frenchman endeared himself to fans over the past two decades with his elite athleticism, electric shotmaking, superb court coverage, and never-say-die attitude. Despite his immense talent, Monfils never went beyond the semifinals of a Grand Slam, falling in the final four at the 2008 French Open and the 2016 US Open.
However, Monfils continued to find joy in the sport even in the twilight of his career, becoming the oldest player to win an ATP Tour singles title at last year's Auckland Open.
Fissette's newest partnership
It didn't take long for Wim Fissette to land his next job. Just two months after parting ways with Iga Swiatek, the highly respected coach is teaming up with rising star Vicky Mboko on a trial basis. Fissette has worked with some of the WTA's top players over the last 17 years, including Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber, and Naomi Osaka. The Belgian most recently guided Swiatek to her maiden Wimbledon crown last season.
Mboko is looking to take the next step after a breakout 2025 campaign in which she claimed the National Bank Open title on home soil. The Canadian has continued to make strides this year, reaching her second WTA 1000 final, picking up five more top-10 wins, and cracking the WTA's top 10 for the first time in her career.
Mboko's clay-court season has been limited, as she had her wisdom teeth removed following the Miami Open and later withdrew from the Italian Open due to a gastrointestinal illness. But a semifinal run in Strasbourg earlier this week should give Mboko some confidence heading into Paris.
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