Roland-Garros French Open: Dates, Streaming, Venue, Prize Money

The second of four Grand Slam tournaments in the tennis season, the French Open is considered one of the most prestigious events in the calendar.

This year will be the 125th edition of the French Open - the 96th renewal as a Grand Slam - and is the only one of the four Major events to be played on red clay.

The 2026 French Open will retain the use of human line judges, unlike the other three Grand Slam tournaments, and it features the best male and female tennis players in the world.

Held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, the tournament is preceded by the Australian Open and comes before Wimbledon and the US Open in the Grand Slam calendar.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has won the men's title in back-to-back years and will be chasing a hat-trick, while Coco Gauff is the defending champion in the women's game after last season's success over Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Find out all you need to know about the French Open, which gets started on May 18.

When is the French Open?

The 2026 edition of the French Open will get underway on Monday, May 18, and conclude with the men's final on Sunday, June 7.

Where is the French Open played?

The second Grand Slam of the season will be held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, and it is the only Major to be played on outdoor clay courts.

The venue contains 20 courts, including three large-capacity stadiums which are referred to as Court Philippe Chatrier, Court Suzanne Lenglen and Court Simonne Mathieu.

What is Roland Garros?

The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is one of four Major tennis tournaments and is held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

Opened in 1928, Roland-Garros was built to help preserve France's tennis success, with the country having won the Davis Cup the previous year. 

Roland Garros was a Frenchman who is believed to have performed the world's first flight across the Mediterranean.

What is the prize money for the French Open?

In 2025, the men's and women's champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff, each took home €2,550,000 ($2,960,022), with runner-ups Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka receiving €1,275,000 ($1,480,011).

The semi-finalists picked up €690,000 ($800,947) while quarter-finalists collected €440,000 ($510,748). Making the first round is still worth €78,000 ($90,541).

Where to watch the French Open?

In the United States, the French Open is broadcast live on TNT Sports, Max and truTV.

History of the French Open

The event was first established in 1891 and was originally known as the French Championships, a time when the tournament was only open to players hailing from the home nation or foreign competitors who were members of a French club.

This lasted for 34 years, with home talent Max Decugis winning the prize eight times from 1903 to 1914.

Rafael Nadal, given the nickname 'King of Clay' for his success at the French Open, is the most decorated player in the tournament's history, having won it 14 times.

The Spanish legend claimed his first success in 2005, beating Argentina's Mariano Puerta in the final, and finished his winning sequence in 2022 with victory over Casper Ruud in the final.

Now retired, his younger compatriot Carlos Alcaraz hopes to take over the mantle and he has won the last two editions of the French Open.

Novak Djokovic is another multiple winner of the men's event, recording title successes in 2016, 2021 and 2023.

Former Swedish number one Bjorn Borg won it six times between 1974 and 1981 and is the second most decorated male player on the red clay in the Open Era.

In the women's game, America's Chris Evert remains the most successful player in French Open history, with seven title triumphs, while Steffi Graf has been crowned champion six times and Justine Henin four.

However, Polish sensation Iga Swiatek is threatening to challenge for that record. The 24-year-old has already won four French Open titles in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and is regarded as the best slow-court female in the business.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time