Roland Garros 2026, Week 1: The Whole Draw Caught Fire
Roland Garros 2026's first week eliminated all three men's top seeds (Alcaraz withdrew, Sinner lost R2 to Cerúndolo after a controversial medical timeout, Djokovic fell R3 to 19-year-old Fonseca), and knocked out defending women's champion Gauff (R3 to Potapova) and four-time champion Świątek (R4 to Kostyuk on her 25th birthday). No former Roland Garros champion remains in either draw — an Open Era first guaranteeing new champions in both singles.
The numbers tell the story bluntly. Through eight days at Roland Garros 2026, the top three men's seeds were gone, the top two women's seeds were gone, no former Roland Garros champion remained in either singles draw, and 17 players had withdrawn or retired from matches. The French Open has guaranteed first-time champions in both the men's and women's singles — for the first time in the same Grand Slam in the Open Era.
This is what happened.
Men's singles: all three top seeds out before the quarterfinals
Alcaraz never made it to Paris. The defending champion withdrew before the tournament began, citing a right wrist tenosynovitis first sustained at the Barcelona Open in April. He has now missed four consecutive events — Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon — and his return timeline for the US Open remains unclear. 1
"I have a very long career ahead of me, with many years still to come. Forcing things at this Roland Garros could really harm me for future tournaments." — Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner made it to Round 2 and then didn't. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner led Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (ranked 139th, unseeded) by two sets and 5-1 in the third before the match fell apart. Sinner served for the set, dropped 15 consecutive points, grabbed at his back, and later told the chair umpire he was dehydrated — a distinction that mattered under ATP rules, which prohibit medical timeouts for cramping but permit them for dehydration. After a contested stoppage, Sinner returned but never recovered. Final score: 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 to Cerúndolo. 2 3
TNT analyst Jim Courier, a two-time French Open champion, was unsparing on air: "That's not fair. That's not right. We love the top players, they drive the sport, but you've gotta apply the rules fairly. The rules are being bent for the top players." 2 It was the first time an incumbent world No. 1 failed to reach the Round of 16 at the French Open since Andre Agassi in 2000. 3
Djokovic made it to Round 3 and then didn't. Seeded third, the 39-year-old led 19-year-old João Fonseca of Brazil by two sets and 3-1 in the fifth. Fonseca broke back, held serve with three consecutive aces in the deciding game — an outside ace saving break point, two down the T — and won 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after 4 hours 53 minutes. 4 3
Fonseca became the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam in 19 prior attempts. Djokovic's record when leading two sets to love in a major fell to 289-2. It was also Djokovic's record 82nd Grand Slam main-draw appearance, surpassing Roger Federer's tally. 4
"I actually didn't believe I could win the match. I just played and enjoyed being in the court." — João Fonseca 4
Fonseca then beat Casper Ruud (seed 15) 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 in Round 4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. He faces Jakub Menšík (seed 26, Czech Republic) — who got past Andrey Rublev (seed 11) 6-3, 7-6(6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 — in one half of the bottom draw. 3
The other confirmed quarterfinal pairs Rafael Jódar (seed 27, Spain, 19 years old) against Alexander Zverev (seed 2, Germany). Jódar came back from two sets down to beat Pablo Carreño Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in Round 4 — one year after playing college tennis at the University of Virginia. Zverev cruised past lucky loser Jesper de Jong 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1, having dropped only one set in four rounds. 5 3
The top-half quarterfinals — Cobolli (10) vs Svajda, Cerúndolo vs Berrettini, Auger-Aliassime (4) vs Tabilo, and Tiafoe (19) vs Arnaldi — are scheduled for June 1 and were not yet played at the time of writing.
With Zverev the highest remaining seed, he is the clearest favorite for the title. But Fonseca, Jódar, and Cerúndolo (who won a 5-hour 58-minute five-set marathon against Martín Landaluce in Round 3, the third-longest match in French Open history) have shown they can win from any position. 3
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Women's singles: seven of the top ten eliminated
The women's draw was not calm either.
Rybakina (seed 2) fell in Round 2 to Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(10-4). 6
Pegula (seed 5) lost in Round 1 to unseeded Kimberly Birrell of Australia 6-3, 3-6, 3-6. 6
Gauff (seed 3, defending champion) fell in Round 3 to Anastasia Potapova (seed 28) 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4. Gauff had 46 unforced errors. She led in the second set, was broken back to 5-5, then lost the tiebreak 1-7. Potapova, who began her career representing Russia and now competes under the Austrian flag, described the win as one of the three best of her career. 7 The match was played to a nearly empty Philippe-Chatrier — most French spectators were watching the Champions League final elsewhere.
Świątek (seed 3 in WTA terms, seed 3 at this event) exited in Round 4, on her 25th birthday. Marta Kostyuk (seed 15, Ukraine) beat her 7-5, 6-1 — Świątek's worst Roland Garros result since her debut in 2019, ending a run of six consecutive quarterfinal appearances at this tournament. Świątek served for the first set at 5-4 and double-faulted twice at 5-5 to lose the opening set. The second set was over in 35 minutes. 8 9
"I'm still in shock to beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here. I'd lost three times to her, never taken a set off her." — Marta Kostyuk 8
"It is harder a bit to handle stress for me in the last year. Today I felt off and I did mistakes that I didn't want to do." — Iga Świątek 8
Kostyuk had not lost on clay this season — she won titles at Rouen and Madrid before Roland Garros — and had never taken a set off Świątek in three prior meetings. She faces Elina Svitolina (seed 7, Ukraine) in the quarterfinals, making it an all-Ukrainian last-eight matchup. 6
The other confirmed women's quarterfinal is Mirra Andreeva (seed 8, Russia, age 19) against Sorana Cîrstea (seed 18, Romania, age 36) — a 17-year age gap. Cîrstea reached her first Roland Garros quarterfinal since 2009, a 17-year gap that is the longest between a player's first two Roland Garros quarterfinals in the Open Era. She defeated Solana Sierra 6-0, 6-0 in Round 3, becoming the oldest woman in the Open Era to post a double bagel in a Grand Slam main-draw match. 6
Sabalenka (seed 1, No. 1 WTA) won through to Round 4 without dropping a set, defeating Bouzas Maneiro (6-4, 6-2), Jacquemot (7-5, 6-2), and Kasatkina (6-0, 7-5). The Kasatkina win was Sabalenka's 100th victory as world No. 1 — she became the ninth player in WTA history to reach that mark, alongside Navratilova, Graf, Evert, Serena Williams, Hingis, Seles, Henin, and Świątek. 10 Her Round 4 match against Naomi Osaka (seed 16) — the first women's night session match in French Open history — was scheduled for June 1 and had not yet been played.
The top-half quarterfinals will be determined by four pending Round 4 matches: Sabalenka vs Osaka, Keys (19) vs Shnaider (25), Potapova (28) vs Kalinskaya (22), and Parry vs Chwalińska (qualifier). The qualifier Maja Chwalińska had already beaten Zheng Qinwen, Elise Mertens (seed 23), and Maria Sakkari in three consecutive matches to reach Round 4. 6
Of the top 10 seeds, seven have been eliminated: Rybakina (R2), Gauff (R3), Anisimova (R3), Świątek (R4), Pegula (R1), Mboko (R3), and Muchová (R3). 6
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An Open Era first
With Świątek's exit on May 31, both draws are now free of any former Roland Garros champion. Gauff won in 2025; Świątek won in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. On the men's side, Alcaraz (2025) withdrew before play, Sinner and Djokovic lost in the first week, and Medvedev (ranked 6, no RG title) fell in Round 1. This is the first time in the Open Era that no former Roland Garros champion remains in either singles draw at the same tournament. 11 8
It also guarantees a first-time men's Grand Slam champion — the first since Rafael Nadal won his debut Roland Garros in 2005.
Casper Ruud, one of the players who was eliminated (by Fonseca in Round 4), put it straightforwardly: "It's such an open tournament. Kind of refreshing, I guess, for everyone, to see that there will be a new Slam champion in about a week or so. I think every player is aware of it." 12
Wawrinka and Monfils say goodbye to Paris
Both Stan Wawrinka and Gaël Monfils made their final Roland Garros appearances in Round 1 on May 25.
Wawrinka, 41, the 2015 French Open champion, lost to lucky loser Jesper de Jong 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier before a full crowd. A farewell ceremony followed on court. "It's tough, it's tough. I don't want to say goodbye to you here," Wawrinka said, in tears. He has announced he will retire at the end of the season. 13 14
Monfils, 39 and a 13-time ATP champion who reached career-high No. 6, lost to compatriot Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0. The match finished before midnight; a fifth set foot injury left Monfils unable to compete. Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Richard Gasquet — three members of France's golden generation of the 2000s and 2010s — attended the post-match ceremony. Monfils' wife, Elina Svitolina, watched from the stands. "Every year I come to play at Roland Garros, and I get goose bumps. It's magical here. It's incredible, unique, exceptional. I'm really going to miss you," Monfils told the crowd. 13
Withdrawals and retirements: 17 players out
A week-long heat wave — temperatures reached 33°C (91°F) at the Stade Roland Garros, well above Paris's late-May average — drove a surge of stoppages. 15 16
Four players retired during matches on Tuesday, May 27 alone. In total, 17 players either withdrew before the tournament or retired during a match:
ATP pre-tournament withdrawals (8): Alcaraz (wrist), Musetti (left thigh), Fils (hip stress fracture, no expected return date for Wimbledon), Rune, Korda, Draper, Cazaux, Kypson. Alexander Blockx withdrew between rounds in Round 2.
WTA pre-tournament withdrawals (4): Vondrousova, Kartal, Gracheva, Kudermetova.
In-match retirements (6): Diallo, Ruse, Uchijima, Norrie, Baez, Muller. 16
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Rankings update (June 1)
The week's results reshuffled both tours meaningfully.
ATP
| Player | Rank | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner (ITA) | 1 | 14,750 | +50 (will lose ~1,300 pts when 2025 SF points drop June 8) |
| Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) | 2 | 11,960 | 0 (loses 2,000 pts June 8 — projected ~9,960) |
| Alexander Zverev (GER) | 3 | 5,705 | Still in draw |
| Novak Djokovic (SRB) | 4 | 4,460 | −250 |
| Ben Shelton (USA) | 5 | 4,070 | +40, career high |
| Félix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) | 6 | 4,050 | −10, still in draw |
| Alex de Minaur (AUS) | 7 | 3,855 | +190 |
| Learner Tien (USA) | 18 | 2,180 | +240, career high |
| Rafael Jódar (ESP) | 29 | 1,461 | Career high, still in draw |
| João Fonseca (BRA) | 30 | 1,435 | Career high, still in draw |
| Hubert Hurkacz (POL) | 99 | 600 | −21, largest Top-100 drop this week |
The scheduled June 8 rankings update — when 2025 Roland Garros points are officially removed — will significantly change the top of the leaderboard. Alcaraz stands to lose 2,000 points (for his 2025 title, with zero earned this year), and Sinner loses a net ~1,250. If Zverev reaches the final, he will pass Alcaraz regardless.
WTA
Sabalenka stays at No. 1. Gauff (defending champion, 2025 title worth 2,000 points) drops from No. 4 to a live ranking of No. 6, a net loss of 1,870 points. Świątek's fourth-round exit costs her 540 points (she loses her 2025 semifinal points and replaces them with Round 4 points), but she retains No. 3 given her cushion over the players below. 19
What to watch this week
Roland Garros quarterfinals (June 2–3)
Men's confirmed QFs:
- Jakub Menšík [26] vs João Fonseca [28]
- Rafael Jódar [27] vs Alexander Zverev [2]
Top-half QF pairings will be decided by the June 1 Round 4 results (Cobolli vs Svajda, Cerúndolo vs Berrettini, Auger-Aliassime vs Tabilo, Tiafoe vs Arnaldi).
Women's confirmed QFs:
- Elina Svitolina [7] vs Marta Kostyuk [15] — all-Ukrainian quarterfinal
- Mirra Andreeva [8] vs Sorana Cîrstea [18]
Top-half pairings hinge on the June 1 night-session results: Sabalenka vs Osaka (the first women's night match in French Open history), Keys vs Shnaider, Potapova vs Kalinskaya, and Parry vs Chwalińska. 20
Remaining Roland Garros schedule:
| Date | Session |
|---|---|
| June 2 (Tue) | Quarterfinals Day 1 |
| June 3 (Wed) | Quarterfinals Day 2 (last night session) |
| June 4 (Thu) | Women's semifinals |
| June 5 (Fri) | Men's semifinals |
| June 6 (Sat) | Women's final |
| June 7 (Sun) | Men's final |
Quarterfinals begin June 2, with the men's and women's finals on June 6–7 at Philippe-Chatrier. 20
Grass season opens June 8
Once the Roland Garros trophy ceremonies are done, grass begins. On June 8: the BOSS Open (ATP 250, Stuttgart, defending champion Taylor Fritz) and Libéma Open (ATP 250, 's-Hertogenbosch, defending champion Gabriel Diallo) open the men's grass season; the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club (WTA 500, London, defending champion Tatjana Maria) and Libéma Open (WTA 250, Rosmalen, defending champion Elise Mertens) open the women's. 21 22
Cover image: João Fonseca after defeating Novak Djokovic in the third round, Roland Garros 2026. Photo: Getty Images.
References
- 1Yahoo Sports — Alcaraz Wimbledon withdrawal
- 2Yahoo Sports — Sinner vs Cerúndolo
- 3Wikipedia — 2026 French Open Men's Singles
- 4BBC Sport — Fonseca vs Djokovic
- 5Bleacher Report — RG Day 8
- 6Wikipedia — 2026 French Open Women's Singles
- 7ESPN — Gauff vs Potapova
- 8ESPN — Kostyuk vs Świątek
- 9Yahoo Sports — Świątek vs Kostyuk
- 10Al Jazeera — Gauff and Sabalenka
- 11BBC Sport via Yahoo — No former champions left
- 12ESPN — Wild French Open
- 13The Guardian — Wawrinka and Monfils farewell
- 14TennisUpToDate — Wawrinka farewell
- 15The Guardian — RG heat wave
- 16Tennis365 — Withdrawals and retirements
- 17ATP Tour — Rankings June 1
- 18Sky Sports — Men's title race
- 19Tennis365 — Points lost by Gauff and Świątek
- 20Puntodebreak — RG 2026 schedule
- 21Wikipedia — 2026 ATP Tour
- 22Wikipedia — 2026 WTA Tour
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