On the eve of Opening Week, we contemplate Roland-Garros past, present and future
The calm before the storm outside Chatrier
The Sunday before Roland-Garros. There's no better time for reflection.
As the sun peeked out from behind the clouds on a tranquil afternoon in Porte d’Auteuil, echoes of the past were everywhere. There, in the silence. In the eyes of Rafael Nadal’s awe-inspiring statue lording over the southeast corner of the grounds. It is also forever embedded in the clay, as today’s aspirants layer their own footprints into the melange.
The full-throated roars that filled Court Philippe-Chatrier during last year’s epic men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have subsided, but the spirit endures. Sitting inside the illustrious stadium in complete silence, it’s difficult not to think about all the battles that have taken place here.
Nadal vs Djokovic. Evert vs Navratilova. Graf vs Seles. Borg vs Vilas.
Nearly a century of clay-court splendour has come to life on the iconic 22 x 44 metre Chatrier canvas, with icons like Noah, Graf, Kuerten, Henin, the Williams sisters, Federer and Alcaraz sending thunderbolts of emotion through 15,000 captivated fans at a time.
With one eye on the past, the other pivots to the future: the 125th edition of Roland-Garros is finally upon us.
Around the grounds it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, except for the crews that kept the courts playable for practice and workers putting the finishing touches on the structures — crepe stands, sandwich shops, boutiques, and the viewing chairs in the Place des Mousquetaires — that will keep the masses satiated during the three most glorious weeks of the clay court season.
Less than 24 hours before men’s and women’s qualifying kick off, the reverie was interrupted only by the tennis.
The 2023 women's singles runner-up Karolina Muchova went through paces on the grand showcourt, her fine-tuned footwork stylising the terre battue. Muchova enters this draw as one of many hopefuls on the women’s side. The draw will be more open than it has been in years, making those final few practice sessions more urgent than ever.
On Court Simonne-Mathieu, clad in an all-black kit and a white Lacoste ballcap flipped backwards, 35-year-old Grigor Dimitrov played a fierce set of tennis with Canadian Alexis Galarneau. The Bulgarian, who has experienced rough sledding since tearing his pectoral muscle during a heartbreaking match with Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last year, is looking to put his 2026 season on track in familiar hunting grounds.
Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals here in 2024, and has made 15 main draw appearances. One thing he has never done? Play the qualifying draw.
Same for former top 10 stalwart Kristina Mladenovic, who has made 16 main draw appearances but never in qualifying. The former world No. 1 doubles player put in some hard yards on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, hitting under the roof as the skies turned grey.
2023 runner-up Karolina Muchova
Both Dimitrov and Mladenovic feature prominently in the qualifying line-ups that were released on Sunday, along with 254 others who harbour hopes of making the main draw.
Just as the past connects the tournament to the present, the future helps colour the past at Roland-Garros. Watching 17-year-old French wild card Ksenia Efremova practice under the watchful eye of coach Emmanuel Planque, one can feel the thrust of the next generation. The current junior No.1, who won the Australian Open girls’ title in January, is set to make her Grand Slam main draw debut in Paris.
Could she be the next great talent to represent France at her home Slam?
The cycle of life on the Parisian clay, where every year unfolds to reveal unforgettable memories, never ceases. It was calm on Sunday, but the storm is coming.
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
