The 130th Roland-Garros runs from May 24 to June 7, 2026 at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. The tournament features 128-player men’s and women’s singles draws played on terre battue, the red clay surface that defines the French Open. Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam played on clay, and the surface demands a fundamentally different game: heavy topspin, patience in rallies, and exceptional physical endurance over best-of-five sets.
Founded in 1891 as the French Championships, the tournament moved to its current site in the 16th arrondissement of Paris in 1928. The stadium was built to host France’s Davis Cup defense and named after aviator Roland Garros. Rafael Nadal’s dominance on this surface is unmatched in tennis history: 14 titles between 2005 and 2022, including four consecutive titles on two separate occasions. The 2024 men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev marked the beginning of a new era at the tournament. Justine Henin won four women’s titles between 2003 and 2007, the most dominant stretch in the women’s draw since the Open Era began.
The red clay surface slows the ball and produces a high bounce, favouring baseliners who can construct points over long rallies. Matches on clay tend to be longer than on other surfaces. Parisian weather in late May and early June is mild, with temperatures around 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, though rain interruptions have historically affected the schedule. The retractable roof installed on Court Philippe-Chatrier in 2020 has reduced weather disruptions on the main showcourt, and night sessions were introduced the same year.
Paris operates on Central European Summer Time (CEST), UTC+2 during the tournament. Day sessions begin at 11:00 local time, which is 10:00 in London and 05:00 in New York. Night sessions start at 20:15 local time, translating to 19:15 in London and 14:15 on the US East Coast. Check Paris time or France time for current local time at the venue.