Can Coco—or Aryna—Win This Year’s French Open? Your 2026 Preview
The 2026 French Open has begun, but notable absences have changed the tournament's dynamics. Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, and other players like Arthur Fils and Jack Draper have withdrawn due to injuries. Meanwhile, the women's competition lacks a clear favorite, with top seeds Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff all vying for the title.
- ▪Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to a right-wrist injury.
- ▪The women's draw features no clear favorite among top players.
- ▪Jannik Sinner is the overwhelming favorite on the men's side after Alcaraz's exit.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
SportsCan Coco—or Aryna—Win This Year’s French Open? Your 2026 PreviewBy Corey SeymourMay 25, 2026Photo: Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyThe most compelling narrative of this year’s French Open, which kicked off yesterday, may well be the story of who isn’t here. Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros—including his stunning comeback in last year’s five-and-a-half-hour epic against Jannik Sinner, the longest final in the tournament’s history—will not be swinging for the fences on the terre battue of Paris this year. A right-wrist injury forced the world number-two to withdraw (he’s since announced that he’ll also miss Wimbledon), and his absence transforms this tournament completely.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Vogue.
