PARIS — The opening round at Roland Garros brought the usual mix of routine victories, physical battles and early surprises as the 2026 French Open got underway across the red clay in Paris.

Top-seeded Jannik Sinner opened his campaign with a straight-set win over French wildcard Clement Tabur, looking sharp from the baseline throughout the match. The Italian controlled play early with his depth and consistency off both wings and never allowed the crowd to pull the match into dangerous territory.

With Carlos Alcaraz absent from the tournament because of injury, the attention around Sinner entering Paris has only grown. His opening-round performance did little to slow those expectations.

Novak Djokovic also moved into the second round, though not without resistance.

The three-time French Open champion dropped a set against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard before settling into the match and advancing in four sets. Mpetshi Perricard came out aggressively behind his serve and forehand, but Djokovic gradually took control once the rallies extended deeper into points.

As the match wore on, the Serbian’s movement and consistency from the baseline began to frustrate the Frenchman, particularly during several long service games late in the third and fourth sets.

While several favorites advanced comfortably, the first round also delivered a handful of notable exits.

Daniil Medvedev was eliminated in five sets by Australia’s Adam Walton in another difficult result for the Russian on clay. Medvedev struggled to consistently finish points from the baseline, while Walton stayed composed during the key moments late in the match.

Taylor Fritz also exited in five sets against Nishesh Basavareddy, while Alexander Bublik fell to Jan-Lennard Struff.

One of the more impressive performances on the men’s side came from Joao Fonseca.

The Brazilian teenager handled his opening-round match with confidence, playing aggressive tennis from the start and embracing the atmosphere on the outside courts. Fonseca’s forehand repeatedly dictated rallies, but his composure during pressure moments stood out even more than the shot-making itself.

On the women’s side, defending champion Coco Gauff began her title defense with a straight-set victory over fellow American Taylor Townsend.

Gauff weathered an aggressive start from Townsend early in the match before gradually settling into rhythm from the baseline. Once the rallies extended, Gauff’s movement and consistency began to wear Townsend down physically.

Aryna Sabalenka also advanced comfortably through her opener.

The world No. 1 relied heavily on her serve and first-strike tennis throughout the match, keeping points short and preventing her opponent from finding rhythm from the baseline.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek once again looked comfortable on the Paris clay in her opening-round win over Emerson Jones.

The four-time champion moved fluidly around the court and controlled points with heavy topspin off her forehand side, continuing the level that has made her so dominant at Roland Garros over the years.

The women’s draw also saw one of its first major surprises of the tournament.

Jessica Pegula exited in three sets against Kimberly Birrell after struggling to maintain consistency during several extended rallies. Birrell stayed steady throughout the match and handled the physical exchanges well late in the deciding set.

Throughout the grounds at Roland Garros, the opening round carried the atmosphere that always seems to follow the first few days in Paris — crowded outside courts, long matches stretching into the evening and players trying to survive the physical grind that clay-court tennis demands.

And after only a few days, both draws already feel far more open heading into the second round.