World No.1 Jannik Sinner took another smooth step towards a career Grand Slam at Roland-Garros 2026 on Tuesday night, defeating French wildcard Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to advance into the second round — extending his current winning streak to 30 matches. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic faces another Frenchman in Valentin Royer on Day 4 as the three-time champion looks to continue his perfect Paris record.
Roland-Garros 2026 is well and truly under way, with the draw beginning to thin as the first round reaches its conclusion. The top seed’s win carries extra resonance: the last time Sinner stood on Chatrier, he was on the losing end of a titanic five-set final to Carlos Alcaraz in 2025, with three match points slipping away in heartbreaking fashion.
Sinner’s Career Grand Slam Quest
Sinner needs the French Open to complete the career Grand Slam — a feat achieved by only a handful of men in the history of the sport. His demolition of Tabur was clinical: 6-1, 6-3, 6-4, the kind of performance that sends a clear message to the rest of the draw. “I put myself in the best possible position,” the Italian said after the match.
The draw has already been shaken up. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev — the world No.4 — was sensationally beaten by Australian qualifier Harry Walton in five sets on Day 3, handing Sinner’s rivals an early exit. World No.5 Jessica Pegula also fell on the women’s side, losing to Olivia Birrell, while 12th seed Linda Noskova lost to former semifinalist Maria Sakkari.
French Teenager Announces Arrival
Day 3 also delivered one of the feel-good stories of the first week. Seventeen-year-old Moise Kouame — a French teenager making his Grand Slam debut — upset former US Open champion Marin Cilic 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 on a sun-baked Court Simonne-Mathieu, sending the Parisian crowd into raptures and continuing a joyous tradition of homegrown heroes emerging at the French Open.
Djokovic Eyes Royer on Day 4
Three-time Roland-Garros champion Novak Djokovic made a winning start to his 2026 campaign on Day 1 (Sunday), coming from a set down to beat big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in 2 hours and 51 minutes. The win kept Djokovic’s remarkable Roland-Garros first-round record intact — he is now 22-0 in opening matches at the Paris clay Major, the most without a loss in the Open era.
The 39-year-old Serbian now faces another Frenchman — Valentin Royer — on Day 4. Djokovic is 13-0 against French players in Paris all-time, and he showed against Mpetshi Perricard that his best tennis remains formidable. Whether he can go deep at Roland-Garros and mount a challenge to the unstoppable Sinner remains the compelling subplot of the tournament’s early stages.
Roland-Garros 2026 runs from 18 May to 7 June at Stade Roland-Garros, Paris. Follow Little Big Red Dot Sports for daily updates from the French Open.
