The French Open’s top seeds take center court on Tuesday as Jannik Sinner faces Clement Tabur and Aryna Sabalenka meets Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Defending champion Coco Gauff also steps onto the Parisian clay, squaring off against fellow American Taylor Townsend in a bid to recapture the magic of her 2024 title run.
World number one Jannik Sinner enters the tournament as the clear favorite after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injury. The Italian has won all five ATP 1000 Masters titles this year-including three on clay-and rides a 29-match winning streak, the longest of his career. “I hope to find my top form in Paris,” said the 24-year-old, who is chasing his maiden French Open crown to complete a career Grand Slam.
Aryna Sabalenka returns to Roland Garros as the world number one, having reached the final last year-a breakthrough on clay for a player who has won only three of her 24 WTA titles on the surface. A lower back injury hampered her at the Italian Open earlier this month, but she insisted Friday that she has fully recovered: “Right now, physically I’m ready to go. I hope to do a little bit better than I did last year.”
Coco Gauff, 22, rallied from a set down to beat Sabalenka in last year’s three-set final, claiming her second Grand Slam. While she has historically thrived on hardcourts, Gauff believes Roland Garros’s unique clay plays into her grinding style: “The clay at Roland Garros is like no other surface. You have to practice like you’re going to win every single match by a point or two.” She added, “I feel like I always find my way in Paris.”