How to watch Roland-Garros 2026 | Order of play, winner & more info

Jonathan Victoria • 18 May 2026 Guides

The red dust of Roland-Garros is calling…

Tennis returns to the storied clay courts of Roland-Garros, where tradition meets world-class talent under the Parisian sun.

As always, Roland-Garros 2026 promises epic rallies, surprise upsets, and iconic moments you’ll want to see live, so whether you're a casual viewer or a die-hard clay court fan, you won’t want to miss a moment.

Here’s how to watch Roland-Garros 2026 without breaking a sweat.

How to watch Roland-Garros 2026

While Sky Sports has the rights to all ATP and WTA tournaments, the Grand Slam tournaments are their own independent championships that are not governed by the tours.

This means that they can choose themselves which broadcasters get the rights to show their tournaments.

As such, TNT Sports has once again been granted the rights to show the championship in full in the UK and Ireland.

Roland-Garros 2026 on TNT Sports

Prior to the 2025 tournament, a new 10-year agreement was made between Roland-Garros and TNT Sports to be the sole broadcaster in the UK and Ireland.

In the past, Eurosport had been the sole broadcaster in the US, UK and Ireland, but now that Eurosport and TNT Sports both fall under the same umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery, the rights are shared between the two. This means Eurosport technically keeps their 39-year run of coverage while TNT Sports breaks new ground.

Roland-Garros 2026 will be available to watch on EE TV (formerly BT TV) across the four TNT Sports channels - TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3 and TNT Sports 4.

You’ll also be able to watch on the go via HBO Max, the new streaming platform for TNT Sports, which is available on many devices, including:

• Smart TV/Firestick
• Mobile
• Laptop/computer
• Tablet
• Console (Xbox & PlayStation)

To access either TNT Sports channels and HBO Max, you’ll need a valid TNT Sports subscription, which you can get in a number of ways from numerous providers.

TNT Sports with BT

The most obvious choice would be to go with BT, the official provider of TNT Sports. 

On Digital TV, you’ll find two BT packages that contain TNT Sports: Sport + Fibre 2 and Full Works + Fibre 2. Both come with BT’s brilliant fibre broadband as well as EE TV with TNT Sports.

A HBO Max subscription is also included, with you receiving the premium plan which gains you access to TNT Sports and Eurosport. 

If you already have an EE TV package but without TNT Sports, you can add it to your package any time you want. It will be added as a 1-month rolling contract meaning you can cancel it whenever you’d like as well.

TNT Sports with Sky

You can get TNT Sports through Sky through the add-on method. When selecting your Sky TV package or amending your existing package, you can choose to add TNT Sports and gain access to the channels.

Once again, the add-on is available via a 31-day rolling contract.

TNT Sports with Virgin Media

The same with TNT Sports on Sky goes for Virgin Media, who offers you the option to add TNT Sports to your Virgin TV package or amending your existing package.

Once again, it is available on a monthly rolling contract.

Roland-Garros 2026 Schedule & dates

Roland-Garros 2026 begins with the qualifying stages, which started today, Monday 18th May.

The official tournament starts with the first round, which will commence on Sunday 24th May. The tournament will then run for exactly two weeks, ending on Sunday 7th July.

The tournament will consist of seven rounds; first round, second round, third round, fourth round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the finals. This is the same for the men’s and women’s singles competitions.

The dates for each round are as followed, but do bare in mean they can change depending on different circumstances such as weather delays:

• 1st Round: Sunday 24th - Tuesday 26th May
• 2nd Round: Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th May
• 3rd Round: Friday 29th & Saturday 30th May
• 4th Round: Sunday 31st May & Monday 1st June
• Quarter-finals: Tuesday 2nd & Wednesday 3rd June
• Semi-finals
  • Women’s singles: Thursday 4th June
  • Men’s singles: Friday 5th June

Roland-Garros 2026 final

The Roland-Garros 2026 men’s and women’s singles finals will take place over the final weekend, with the women’s final on Saturday 6th June and the men’s final on Sunday 7th June.

History of Roland-Garros

Roland-Garros is known under multiple names, most common of which simply being the French Open.

The first edition came way back in 1891, with the Championnat de France, or French Championships, being contested by players who were members of French tennis clubs only. Funnily enough, it was won by Britain’s H. Briggs, who was a member of the Club Stade Francais. The first women’s competition was held in 1897 but only had four competitors.

Aside from the years between 1915-1919, the French Championships were played each year in the same format (French club members only) until 1925. 

It was in that year that the tournament was designated a major championship by the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the competition was opened up to all amateurs internationally.

Who was Roland Garros?

Roland Garros was a trailblazing French aviator and war hero whose legacy lives on in one of tennis’s most prestigious venues. After taking up cycling to recover from pneumonia, he turned his attention to flight, earning his pilot’s license in 1910 and becoming the first person to fly solo across the Mediterranean Sea in 1913.

When World War I broke out, Garros joined the French army and helped pioneer aerial combat. He was among the first to down an enemy aircraft using a forward-firing machine gun, a breakthrough in aviation warfare. Captured after a crash behind enemy lines, his aircraft’s design was studied by Dutch aviator Anthony Fokker, who developed it into the deadly interrupter gear system that gave rise to the “Fokker Scourge.”

Garros escaped captivity in 1918 and returned to flying, but was shot down and killed just weeks before the war ended—one day before his 30th birthday. Though he fell short of the official “fighter ace” title, his contributions to aviation remain legendary. 

Today, his name graces the iconic Roland-Garros Stadium, where feats of excellence continue on a different kind of battlefield.

Roland-Garros venue & courts

The Roland-Garros Stadium, nestled in the western outskirts of Paris, is the historic home of the French Open and a temple of clay-court tennis. 

The complex boasts a rich blend of tradition and innovation, having undergone major renovations in recent years to modernise facilities while preserving its unique charm.

Its centerpiece is Court Philippe-Chatrier, the main stadium court with a retractable roof added in 2020, allowing play to continue rain or shine and enhancing the tournament’s global appeal.

Beyond Chatrier, the grounds feature several other iconic courts, including Court Suzanne-Lenglen, known for its sweeping, amphitheater-like design and intimate crowd atmosphere, and Court Simonne-Mathieu, a stunning semi-sunken court nestled within greenhouses of the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil. 

With over 15 match courts and numerous practice courts, all set on signature red clay, the venue delivers a unique playing experience—demanding endurance, precision, and tactical mastery from the world’s top players.

Roland-Garris’ iconic red clay

Unlike the faster grass or hard courts used in other Grand Slams, Roland-Garros’s courts are composed of several carefully layered materials: a base of stone and gravel, topped with crushed limestone, and finally covered with a thin layer of powdered red brick, which gives the courts their distinctive terracotta hue. 

This design slows down the ball and produces higher bounces, favouring players with patience and tactical mastery - something which a certain Spaniard mastered and will forever be synonymous with.

The tradition of clay courts in France dates back to the late 19th century, when powdered brick was first used to preserve grass courts in the sun-drenched south—evolving over time into the surface now synonymous with the Parisian Slam.

Roland-Garros 2026 prize money

The 2026 edition of Roland-Garros will see an increase in the prize winnings over 2025, with the total prize pot this year being €61.7m (£53.7m).

Obviously, the winner of the men’s and women’s singles tournament earns the lion's share of the money, being granted €2.8m each. The losing finalist will also earn a pretty penny, with €1.4m going their way.

Here’s a full breakdown of how much a player will earn at each round in the singles contests. The amounts are the same for both the men’s and women’s competitions:

Roland-Garros winners

One man stands head and shoulders above the rest as the best player ever to grace the red clay of Roland-Garros.

As far as most dominant sportsmen in respect to their field, Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest athletes of all time, claiming a dominance in Paris that has never been seen before in tennis in any of the four Grand Slams.

A record 14 Roland-Garros titles alone puts him level with the great Pete Sampras for total Grand Slam won, which is to say with only his French Open titles, Nadal would still put him joint-third for most Grand Slam titles in his career.

It is a record for any player, male or female, at any one tournament and is likely to never be beaten - at least not from the men’s side.

Credit: Top 10 Rafael Nadal | Roland Garros | Eurosport Tennis (Eurosport Tennis, YouTube) 

Saying that, the current champion is something of a Nadal regen, with 23-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who also hails from Spain, showing a strong ability on the surface as well. Unfortunately, his skills won’t be on show this year as he will be sitting out due to injury, but no doubt he will be back to reclaim his crown next year.

On the women’s side, America’s Chris Evert boasts the most titles with seven, having won her first in 1974 and last in 1986.

Hot on her heels is current world number three-ranked Iga Swiatek, who has four titles already to her name and will only be turning 25 during this year’s tournament. She won three consecutively between 2022 and 2024 but fell short last year in the semi-finals. If there is any favourite from the women’s bracket, it’s certainly her.

Past 5 champions

Men’s 

• 2025 - Carlos Alcaraz (2)
• 2024 - Carlos Alcaraz
• 2023 - Novak Djokovic (3)
• 2022 - Rafael Nadal (14)
• 2021 - Novak Djokovic (2)

Women’s

• 2025 - Coco Gauff
• 2024 - Iga Swiatek (4)
• 2023 - Iga Swiatek (3)
• 2022 - Iga Swiatek (2)
• 2021 - Barbora Krejcikova

All-time records (singles, Open Era only)

• Most titles
  • Men’s: 14 - Rafael Nadal (2005-2022)
  • Women’s: 7 - Chris Evert (1974-1986)
     
• Most consecutive titles
  • Men’s: 5 - Rafael Nadal (2010-2014)
  • Women’s: 3 - Monica Selles (1990-1992), Justine Henin (2005-2007) & Iga Swiatek (2022-2024)
     
• Youngest champion
  • Men’s: 17 years & 3 months - Michael Chang (1989) 
  • Women’s: 16 years & 6 months - Monica Selles (1990)
     
• Oldest champion
  • Men’s: 36 years & 20 days - Novak Djokovic (2023)
  • Women’s: 33 years & 10 months - Zsusza Kormoczy (1958)