The 2026 edition of Roland Garros is set to get underway on the 18th of May, and the men’s singles tournament will be without its reigning champion: Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz withdrew from the French Open due to an ongoing wrist injury, which forced him to pull out of the Barcelona Open after his first match there.
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The Spaniard would’ve been in search of a three-peat in the French capital this year, having secured his second straight Roland Garros crown by defeating Jannik Sinner in a legendary final last year.
Sinner will now be the overwhelming favourite to go all the way this time around, with the world number one in unstoppable form currently.
But an opportunity has presented itself for several ATP stars with the omission of Alcaraz.
The fourth seed at Roland Garros is up for grabs
Had the defending champion been present at Roland Garros this year, the top four seeds would have been almost guaranteed: Sinner, Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.
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However, now the fourth seed is up for grabs, and in the live rankings, American star Ben Shelton is currently placed for it.
But Shelton has exited the Italian Open already, as have Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur, who are sixth and eighth in the live rankings, respectively.
Taylor Fritz, who is seventh between Auger-Aliassime and De Minaur, did not feature in Rome due to injury.
With spots four through eight not due to pick up any more points in Rome, former world number one Daniil Medvedev now has a great chance at clinching the Roland Garros fourth seed.
Medvedev could surpass Shelton in the rankings if he triumphed in Rome, but the Russian will likely have to battle past Sinner in the semifinals en route.
Daniil Medvedev’s results at Roland Garros over the years
Clay has historically been Medvedev’s least favourite surface, and his results at Roland Garros compared to the other three majors certainly showcase that.
Medvedev reached the Australian Open final three times, the Wimbledon semifinals twice, and he is a former champion at the US Open.
But at the French Open, Medvedev has only ever made one quarterfinal, which he managed during the 2021 season.
In nine appearances, Medvedev has tallied a total of six first-round exits in Paris, the most recent of which came last year.
Medvedev was beaten by Cameron Norrie in the opening round last year, marking another poor result in an overall disappointing season.
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