Big names and mouthwatering match-ups highlight the men's first round
It’s a time-honoured tradition once the singles draws are revealed in Paris: combing over eye-catching first-round match-ups to decipher hot-off-the-press popcorn first-rounders.
➡️ Roland-Garros 2026 men's singles draw
Scroll down to find out what the draw gods gave us on the men's side this year.
Stan Wawrinka's Roland-Garros swan song promises to be a generational clash as well as a vertigo-inducing contest, with the French public likely torn between their most promising homegrown player and the legendary 2015 champion, known affectionately as “the Stanimal”.
Expect a magical atmosphere, standout tennis and plenty of raw emotion.
Forty-one-year-old Wawrinka may not have the stamina he once had but the Swiss can still produce moments of brilliance. Arthur Fils is one of the most charismatic 21-and-under players on the ATP Tour, and he's been nothing short of brilliant in 2026. The No.1 Frenchman projects as a potential semifinalist or even better, but he’ll need to pass this tricky test first.
All eyes will be on Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, who enters the tournament with just one clay-court match (a loss to compatriot Dino Prizmic in Rome) under his belt in 2026. The soon-to-be-39-year-old (birthday May 22) will face one of the hardest servers in the men’s game in Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, a forceful Frenchman who has won nine of his 20 career matches against top-20 opposition.
Djokovic has defused the most powerful servers with impressive regularity during his incredible career, but how will he turn up against a home favourite as he seeks his first win since Indian Wells?
The man, the myth, the magician. There will not be a dry eye on the grounds when Gael Monfils takes the court against compatriot Hugo Gaston in a first-time meeting. LaMonf’s 19th and final appearance at his home Slam will be emotional and the 39-year-old’s challenge will be to stay on mission in what is sure to be a chaotic atmosphere.
In the end, he'll want to give the crowds what they want – a win – so they can have the chance to witness the universally adored showman up close and personal in the second round.
The top-ranked Peruvian stands to be a difficult test for Andrey Rublev. Just this week the 57th-ranked Ignacio Buse has ploughed past Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Ugo Humbert to reach the semifinals in Hamburg. The 22-year-old will look to dictate with his pulsating ground game in his main draw debut in Paris. Rublev, a two-time quarterfinalist who has had a solid clay season that includes a final in Barcelona and a quarterfinal in Rome, will look to do the same.
A former Grand Slam champion – and Roland-Garros semifinalist – in the twilight of his career against a 17-year-old who has done nothing but turn heads in his brief introduction to the ATP Tour. Marin Cilic vs (barely) 17-year-old Moise Kouame should be a wildly entertaining tussle as the fiery young Frenchman will try to make the most of his wild card against a player who was ranked inside the ATP’s top 20 on the day Kouame was born.
Ranked No.316, Kouame earned his first Masters 1000 victory at Miami in March; Cilic, ranked No.45, is still a threat to beat anyone on tour.
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
