
Just seven months after the 2020 French Open, the 2021 French Open is set to begin on May 30 at Roland Garros. And, for the first time ever, the 2021 French Open will feature night sessions on Court Philippe-Chatrier. A match featuring reigning champions Rafael Nadal or Iga Swiatek under the lights in Paris will certainly be a sight to see!
If Nadal wins his 14th French Open this June, he will break a tie with Roger Federer for most Grand Slam wins by any man with 21.
A few big names will miss the spectacle in Paris this year, after recently pulling out of the tournament due to injuries or in order to focus on the quickly approaching grass season. On the men’s side, Stan Wawrinka has pulled out due to a foot injury. Clay-court queen, and 2018 champion, Simona Halep will be missing from the women’s tournament due to a tear in her left calf.
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However, there are plenty of stars and storylines to watch over the next two weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021 French Open.
When is the 2021 French Open?
For TV viewers in the U.S., the 2021 French Open runs from Sunday, May 30 to Sunday, June 13 with events typically beginning at 5 a.m. ET each day.
Qualifying rounds began Monday, May 24 and will run through Friday, May 28.
Tennis
How can I watch the French Open 2021?
The 2021 French Open will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel and select Bally Sports regional networks. Viewers can stream the event for free on Peacock.
Can fans attend the 2021 French Open?
The French Open was one of the first sporting events in the world to host fans in fall 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Roland Garros will once again admit a limited number of fans for the 2021 tournament. In fact, Roland Garros pushed the 2021 French Open start date back a week in order to allow more fans to attend. This year, 12,500 people will be allowed to attend the tournament per day.
What is the 2021 French Open tournament draw?
The draw for the men's singles, women's singles and other competitions at Roland Garros was released at 12 p.m. ET (6 p.m. local time in France) on Thursday, May 27.
For the first time at the French Open, the Big Three are on the same side of the bracket. Top seed Novak Djokovic is slated to face Roger Federer in the quarterfinal and Rafael Nadal in semifinal if he’s to win his second-ever title at Roland Garros. Check out the entire bracket here.
The women’s draw is stacked as usual with 2019 French Open champion Ash Barty back in the mix after skipping last year’s event. Serena Williams will play in the French Open 2021. She opens as the tournament’s seventh seed and is still chasing Margaret Court’s 24 Grand Slam singles title record. Check out her potential road to the finals and the rest of the draw here.
Who are the top seeded men's players at the 2021 French Open?
As of May 27, these are the top 32 men in the ATP rankings. For players who withdraw before the draw is released, the players below them will move up one spot in the tournament's seeding.
- Novak Djokovic, Serbia
- Daniil Medvedev, Russia
- Rafael Nadal, Spain
- Dominic Thiem, Austria
- Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece
- Alexander Zverev, Germany
- Andrey Rublev, Russia
- Roger Federer, Switzerland
- Matteo Berrettini, Italy
- Diego Schwartzman, Argentina
- Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain
- Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain
- David Goffin, Belgium
- Denis Shapovalov, Canada -- withdrew (shoulder)
- Gael Monfils, France
- Casper Ruud, Norway
- Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria
- Milos Raonic, Canada
- Jannik Sinner, Italy
- Hubert Hurkacz, Poland
- Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada
- Alex de Minaur, Australia
- Cristian Garin, Chile
- Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland -- withdrew (foot surgery)
- Karen Khachanov, Russia
- Aslan Karatsev, Russia
- Daniel Evans, United Kingdom
- Lorenzo Sonego, Italy
- Fabio Fognini, Italy
- Borna Coric, Croatia
- Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia
- Ugo Humbert, France
Who are the top seeded women's players at the 2021 French Open?
As of May 27, these are the top 32 women in the WTA rankings. As with the men's draw, players could move up in seeding to replace players like Simona Halep who withdrew.
- Ashleigh Barty, Australia
- Naomi Osaka, Japan
- Simona Halep, Romania -- withdrew (left calf)
- Aryna Sabalenka, Bulgaria
- Sofia Kenin, United States
- Elina Svitolina, Ukraine
- Bianca Andreescu, Canada
- Serena Williams, United States
- Iga Swiatek, Poland
- Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic
- Belinda Bencic, Switzerland
- Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic
- Garbine Muguruza, Spain
- Jennifer Brady, United States
- Elise Mertens, Belgium
- Victoria Azarenka, Bulgaria
- Kiki Bertens, Netherlands
- Maria Sakkari, Greece
- Karolina Muchova, Czech Republic
- Johanna Konta, Great Britain
- Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic
- Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan
- Petra Martic, Croatia
- Madison Keys, United States
- Coco Gauff, United States
- Ons Jabeur, Tunisia
- Angelique Kerber, Germany
- Alison Riske, United States
- Jessica Pegula, United States
- Veronika Kudermetova, Russia
- Anett Kontaveit, Estonia
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia