French Open 2026 guide: How to watch on TV, and more to know

A ballgirl stands during the draw for the French Open tennis tournament, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS— The French Open begins in Paris on Sunday. This guide tells you what you need to know about how to watch the second tennis Grand Slam of 2026 on TV, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the reigning champions are and more:

When does it start?

Play begins Sunday at 11 a.m. Paris time (5 p.m. Philippine time).

Where can I watch it on TV?

•  In the U.S.: TNT, TruTV, HBO Max.
• In the Philippines: beIN Sports.

Who are the reigning champions?

United States’ Coco Gauff watches sitting on the bench during a break during the women’s final match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Coco Gauff of the United States and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.

Gauff won the trophy for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) for his fifth major title in as many finals. It was Alcaraz’s second straight French Open title. Alcaraz injured his right wrist this season and has withdrawn from the French Open and Wimbledon.

Who are the top seeds?

Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns the ball to Casper Ruud, of Norway, during the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Sabalenka is the women’s, and Sinner is the men’s. They are ranked No. 1 and the tournament seedings follow the WTA and ATP rankings.

Who are the betting favorites?

Four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek is listed by bookmakers as the money-line favorite in the women’s singles. She is at +225 ahead of Sabalenka (+275). In the men’s draw, in the absence of the injured Alcaraz, Sinner is the overwhelming favorite at -300, ahead of Alexander Zverev at +750.

What is the singles schedule (Paris time)?

• Sunday through Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)
• Wednesday-Thursday: Second Round (Women and Men)
• May 29-30: Third Round (Women and Men)
•  May 31-June 1: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
•  June 2-3: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
•  June 4: Women’s Semifinals
•  June 5: Men’s Semifinals
•  June 6: Women’s Final
•  June 7: Men’s Final

Key stories before play begins

• Jannik Sinner enters the French Open on a 29-match win streak, chasing a career Grand Slam
•  Coco Gauff has a new mindset for title defense and more confidence on her serve
• Sinner opens French Open against wild card
• Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk raise trophies for war-torn Ukraine on the tennis court
• No. 1 Sabalenka calls for boycott if players don’t get bigger cut of Grand Slam revenues
•  French Open players plan media protest over prize money share
• Carlos Alcaraz pulls out of Wimbledon because of wrist injury
• 45-year-old Venus Williams to play in French Open women’s doubles with Hailey Baptiste

What’s new this year?

— Three-star gastronomy is coming to Roland Garros. Organizers are launching The Jardin des Chefs, a new dining area showcasing the best of French cuisine. Some of France’s top chefs and pastry chefs will take turns preparing their signature dishes, along with exclusive creations.

— Electronic devices that record players’ biometric data have been authorized on a trial basis for the first time. The initiative is designed to help players gain insights into their physical performance and recovery throughout the tournament, organizers said. Athletes will be allowed to use any device included on the “Player Analysis Technology” list approved by the International Tennis Federation. The trial will begin at Roland Garros and continue at the other Grand Slam tournaments this year.

What is the prize money?

The men’s, left, and women’s trophies are displayed during the draw for the French Open tennis tournament, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Top players have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the French Open prize money. Open organizers announced an overall prize money increase by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million). The total amount is up 5.3 million euros from last year. But the players said their share of Roland Garros revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026. The Australian Open this year increased the players’ pay by 16%, and the U.S. Open last year went up by 20%.

Is it the French Open or Roland Garros?

Both, as you can read about in this AP story from 2019. English speakers tend to use “French Open,” although the French Tennis Federation doesn’t call it that. The French — and much of the rest of the world — go with “Roland Garros,” which is the facility that hosts the tournament and is named after a World War I fighter pilot.

Basic facts about the clay-court major

The French Open is played outdoors on red clay courts at Roland-Garros on the southwest outskirts of Paris. Women play best-of-three-set matches with a first-to-10 tiebreaker at 6-all in the third; men play best of five with a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth. There are separate day and night sessions most days. The event lasts 15 days. There is a retractable roof on the main stadium, Court Philippe-Chatrier.