French Open 2026: Can Anyone Stop Jannik Sinner At Roland Garros?

Jannik Sinner is the red hot favourite to claim the French Open title in 2026, and William Hill News look ahead to Roland Garros and whether anyone can stop him from emerging victorious.

The 2026 French Open begins on May 24. Sinner, on a 29-match winning streak and having won the first five Masters events of the year, is the heavy tennis betting favourite in the men’s draw.

Four-time French Open champion Iga Świątek is the favourite on the women’s side, though it projects to be far more competitive with Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff shorter than 10/1.

Men’s

Carlos Alcaraz’s absence through a wrist injury makes this Sinner’s tournament to lose. The Italian is on a historically dominant run with Alcaraz looking like the only player capable of challenging him over the last 18 months.

No player ranked outside the top eight has made any of the last 10 French Open finals. It is very rare a player goes on a run at Roland Garros without having demonstrated good form in recent clay-court events.

Rafael Jódar, who reached the quarters in Rome and Madrid, is a player to keep an eye on. The young Spaniard could go on a deep run if the draw falls in his favour.

Having been the runner-up in Rome and a quarter-finalist in Madrid, the 2022 and 2023 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud is one of the players most likely to benefit if Sinner somehow doesn’t go all the way.

Since June last year, Jakub Menšík, Novak Djokovic, and Alcaraz are the only players to beat Sinner. Outside of the 2025 French Open final, Sinner has lost four clay-court sets since the start of last year.

This is the closest anyone has been to unbeatable since Djokovic’s peak, and Sinner has arguably been even more dominant due to a less talented chasing pack.

The usual suspects like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev could win the French Open if Sinner suffers a shock defeat or an injury. If he’s healthy, though, it’s hard to see anyone beating Sinner in a best-of-five duel.

Women’s

Świątek bounced back from a third-round exit in Madrid by reaching the last four in Rome. It’s been a difficult start to 2026 for the four-time French Open winner, and last year’s semi-final defeat at the hands of Sabalenka is still fresh in the mind.

Outsiders have often staged shocks at the French Open. Only three of the last 10 finals have included two players from the world’s top 10. Of the current top 10, we’d fade Victoria Mboko, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula due to a mix of subpar clay-court performances and a lack of on-court time in recent clay-court events.

Elina Svitolina saw off Świątek in the semis in Rome and beat Gauff in the final. This followed a semi-final appearance in Stuttgart. Svitolina has made five quarter-final appearances at Roland Garros and has a career winning rate of 68% on clay – there’s a good chance she’s in the mix in the latter stages once again here.

A stunning run to the semis in Rome means Sorana Cîrstea deserves a mention here. The Romanian hasn’t been beyond the fourth round of the French Open since 2009, but she’s riding a high and could be a dangerous opponent for the top seeds if she can replicate her Italian Open form.

The last four French Open winners had at reached at least two of the last three finals across Rome, Madrid, and Stuttgart. No player can meet this criterion this time around, but it shows how important form is.

Mirra Andreeva and Svitolina have excelled over the last few weeks. Each player represents good value to go all the way at Roland Garros.

How will the Brits fare at the 2026 French Open? Check out our preview for the British hopes at Roland Garros next month.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*