Day 2 of Roland-Garros 2026 brings the two biggest names in men’s tennis onto the courts of Paris for the first time. Roland Garros 2026 Day 2 features world No.1 Jannik Sinner opening his campaign for the Career Grand Slam against French wild card Clément Tabur, while three-time champion Novak Djokovic headlines the night session against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title. Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is notably absent through injury — opening the door for one of tennis’s great rivalries to dominate Paris once more.
Roland Garros 2026 Day 2: Sinner Seeks Career Grand Slam Glory
The numbers around Jannik Sinner’s current form are frankly staggering. The 24-year-old Italian arrives at Roland-Garros on a career-best 29-match winning streak, having won his last five tournaments consecutively. He reclaimed the world No.1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz and, last weekend, became the first player alongside Djokovic to complete the Career Golden Masters — winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 events — after his Rome triumph.
Now, the only Grand Slam title missing from Sinner’s collection is the French Open. That fact alone makes Roland-Garros 2026 one of the most anticipated fortnights in recent memory. “Very happy to be back here,” Sinner said at Roland-Garros. “It’s a very special tournament since the first time I played here.” He lost a heartbreaking five-set final to Alcaraz on this same court 12 months ago. This time, with Alcaraz absent, the path is clearer — but not easy.
His first-round opponent, French wild card Clément Tabur, arrives as a crowd favourite at home. Sinner has only relinquished three sets across his 29-match winning run — three sets in nearly 30 matches. The Italian is not in the mood to be upset.
Djokovic Headlines Night Session: The Undercooked Danger Man
If Sinner is the red-hot favourite, Djokovic is the wildcard threat that nobody in the draw can afford to underestimate. The 39-year-old Serbian enters Roland-Garros having not won a single match on clay in 2026 — his body did not allow it. A first-round exit to Dino Prizmic in Rome was his only warm-up, but as the official Roland-Garros website noted: “Beware the Undercooked Djokovic.”
Djokovic’s record in Paris is the stuff of legend: 101 wins and 17 losses across 21 career appearances, with three titles to his name. At the Australian Open earlier this year, he arrived without a single warm-up match, then proceeded to defeat the near-invincible Sinner en route to the final. That precedent should terrify the rest of the draw.
“I always have that belief in myself when I’m on the court,” he said at his Roland-Garros press conference. “If I’m healthy and I’m able to maintain freshness throughout the tournament, I always have a very good chance.” Tonight, he faces the powerful French crowd favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the Philippe-Chatrier night session — a cauldron of atmosphere that could go either way.
Alcaraz Absence Reshapes the Draw Entirely
The elephant in the clay is Carlos Alcaraz, who has withdrawn from Roland-Garros through injury — a devastating blow for a tournament that lost its two-time defending champion at the final hurdle. Djokovic addressed it directly: “Of course it’s a big blow for the tournament not to have him.” Without the Spaniard, the top half of the draw — where Sinner sits — has opened up considerably.
Other Day 2 Storylines: Wawrinka’s Farewell and the Women’s Contenders
Beyond the Sinner-Djokovic spotlight, Day 2 carries the emotional weight of Stan Wawrinka’s final Roland-Garros campaign. The 2015 champion — affectionately known as “Stanimal” — is in his last professional season and faces Dutch lucky loser Jesper De Jong in a match that promises one of the week’s great atmospheres. “I will remember going up the steps and getting onto the court in 2015,” Wawrinka said, recalling his finest Roland-Garros moment. “I’m someone who will fight till the end.”
On the women’s side, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka is hunting her first Paris crown, with defending champion Coco Gauff and the resurgent Iga Świątek also major contenders for the women’s title. The Paris clay has historically favoured Gauff’s heavy topspin baseline game, but Sabalenka arrived declaring she is “ready to fight.”
What to Watch on Roland Garros 2026 Day 2
The day session begins at 11:00 local Paris time (17:00 SGT), with the Djokovic night match expected around 20:15 Paris time (02:15 SGT on 25 May). For Singaporean fans staying up, it will be worth every minute. Sinner’s match, scheduled earlier in the day, should be a commanding display from the world No.1 — though expect the Parisian crowd to make life uncomfortable from the first point.
This is just the start of a fortnight that could define careers and legacies. To get up to speed on the draw, read our Roland Garros 2026 men’s draw breakdown and our women’s draw preview. All tennis and sports coverage lives in our Sports section.
