The 2026 Australian Open is now in the books. It was another thrilling set of competitions in Melbourne, with some stunning finals to cap the event off. The players have now embarked on the year’s tours and will be hoping to keep in good form as the months go on. But for many fans, there will be a growing anticipation of the second Grand Slam event of the year coming up soon.
The iconic orange clay courts of Roland Garros will play host to the 125th French Open, beginning in the last week of May, and the excitement is palpable. All the best betting sites already have their markets and French Open odds ready, with just over two months to go until the tournament begins.
VegasBetting.net is an excellent source of information when it comes to finding the best sportsbooks to use, but which players should you be backing to win the prestigious titles? Both the men’s and women’s singles competitions are being fiercely contested between a core set of top athletes, and we are going to take a look at who the champions of the two high-profile competitions might be this year.
Men’s Singles
Carlos Alcaraz has won both of the last two French Open men’s singles titles. The Spaniard has also won three of the last four majors and is one of just two players to claim a Grand Slam singles event since the beginning of 2024. After beating the great Novak Djokovic in four sets to take the Australian Open in January, Alcaraz would definitely seem to be the one to beat in Paris.
Although some compare Alcaraz to his compatriot Rafael Nadal, it is clear that the young player is more at home on all surfaces. Nadal might have won titles wherever he went, but he saved his best for the clay of Roland Garros. Alcaraz is at home on hard courts and grass as he is with clay – and nothing looks like stopping him in 2026.
Djokovic will be in with a chance of winning, of course, as will Alexander Zverev, but the real competition for Alcaraz for a second Grand Slam title of the year will come from a very familiar place. Jannik Sinner’s rivalry with Alcaraz is akin to the great tennis duels of the 1970s and 80s, with the Italian claiming a share of the Grand Slam events over the last few years.
Sinner’s straight-sets win over Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells at the beginning of March sets the Italian up nicely for the spring tennis schedule. It is very difficult to look past the prospect of another final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at this year’s French Open, with the Spaniard coming out ond top in the majority of their most recent meetings. After taking the Australian, it feels like Carlos Alcaraz is getting ready to claim 2026 as his own.
Women’s Singles
When it comes to the women’s singles competition, the pool of elite players with the ability to win a Grand Slam event is slightly larger. In the two and a bit years that have seen only Alcaraz and Sinner lift majors trophies in the men’s event, the women’s singles competition has enjoyed six different winners. There have been two different winners in the last two years, and the field feels a little more competitive.
The obvious main favorite is Iga Swiatek, however. The Polish player has almost considered the French Open as private property in recent years, winning four out of five titles between 2020 and 2024. Triumphs at Wimbledon and at the US Open during that period also proved Swiatek to be one of the finest women’s tennis players of recent times.
Swiatek lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals of last year’s competition, and it is the Belarusian who currently holds the number one ranking. She won only one Grand Slam event last year, but is looking in fine form to challenge Swiatek once again. That being said, Sabalenka has never won the French Open and will be up against some stiff competition.
The other two main threats to Swiatek will be last year’s champion, Coco Gauff, and the player who won the Australian Open title, Elena Rybakina. Both players have remained near the top of the rankings, with Rybakina, in particular, playing very well in the early months of the year.
As long as Iga Swiatek remains fit and healthy over the next few months, it would seem to be hers to lose. But all it would take is for her to come up against one of the better players on form before the final, and the race could be blown wide open.
French Open Excitement
Last year, the French Open announced the domination on clay of Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s game, while Coco Gauff’s second-ever major title opened up the women’s singles competition. After the heat and drama of Melbourne at the beginning of the year, the French Open is always a time when we really get to see which players are coming through in an attempt to take over their respective competitions.
There is something about the clay courts of Roland Garros that makes the French Open such an iconic and intriguing tournament. Even with the big names doing so well in world tennis at the moment, the favorites will be Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek for the two singles events. This is a tournament in which we have seen players dominate in years gone by. But nothing is guaranteed for either competition, so get ready for another enthralling three weeks of French Open tennis.
