With two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz absent, Jannik Sinner was expected to capture his first French Open crown this year. Instead, the top-ranked Italian lost in the second round, leaving the men’s draw wide open.

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic was the most experienced contender left in the field, chasing a record 25th major title. But the 39-year-old Serb will have to wait until Wimbledon after losing a five-set thriller to 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca on Friday (May 29, 2026).

The result may not have been so surprising because Djokovic came into the tournament with questions over his form after losing to a Croatian qualifier at the Italian Open, his only clay-court warmup event after two months out with a right shoulder injury.

Here is a look at some of the favorites still in contention for the title:

Alexander Zverev

He will likely think this is best chance of winning his first major title. The 2024 runner-up to Alcaraz has also advanced to three semifinals and another quarterfinal in Paris. The 29-year-old German is in excellent form after reaching the final in Madrid and the semifinals in Monte Carlo and Munich. The second-seeded Zverev advanced to the fourth round with a four-set win late Friday over Frenchman Quentin Halys.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

At No. 4, the Canadian is the highest seed left in the top half of the draw and will take on Brandon Nakashima in the third round. Auger-Aliassime was two points away from defeat in the first round before rallying past Daniel Altmaier in five sets. He then got past Roman Andres Burruchaga in four sets. Auger-Aliassime’s best result at Roland Garros was the fourth round in 2022 and 2024.

Rafael Jodar

He is the latest tennis sensation from Spain. The 19-year-old Jodar is into the fourth round at a major for the first time after his five-set win over Alex Michelsen. Jodar claimed his first ATP title in Marrakech last month then made it to the semifinals in Barcelona and the quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome. His tour-level record on clay is 18-3. By comparison, 14-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal and Alcaraz both went 13-7 through their first 20 tour-level matches on clay.

Moise Kouame

Can the French teenager create a major surprise and emulate Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win at Roland Garros in 1983? Kouame reached the third round after a five-set, five-hour thriller that delighted the French crowd. The No. 318-ranked player next faces Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. Kouame beat Marin Cilic in straight sets in the first round, becoming the first man born in 2008 or later to win a Grand Slam match.

Casper Ruud

Ruud lost the 2022 final to Nadal and the 2023 final to Djokovic. The Norwegian has struggled in the Paris heat this week and needed five sets to prevail in the first round. Ruud faces Tommy Paul of the United States in the third round.

Joao Fonseca

He has to be added to the list after a brilliant comeback win against arguably the best men’s player of all time. Fonseca became the first teenager to defeat the Serbian at a Grand Slam event. He is into the fourth round at a major for the first time..

Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years on Thursday (May 28, 2026) with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will next take on American teenager Iva Jovic as both players attempt to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time.

Osaka, seeded 16th, retrieved an early break against Vekic and then broke back again when her opponent was serving for the first set.

The Japanese star dominated a tie-break and came up with the decisive break late in the second set to put away the 72nd-ranked Vekic.

Osaka’s run to the US Open semi-finals last year is the only time she has made the second week of a major since her last Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 Australian Open.

The former world number one returned to the courts in early 2024 after a year out following the birth of her daughter.

* Osaka, who wore a sequined waistcoat blouse and black ‌mesh train over her layered ‌yellow-brown ⁠and gold match dress in ⁠the opening round, arrived for the contest with Vekic in a white floor-length flared train over ​her outfit.

* On ‌another blazing day in Paris, the Japanese player traded breaks freely with Vekic in the opening set on ‌Court Simonne Mathieu, before finding her ​best form during the tiebreak to prevail for the loss of ⁠only one point.

* Down a set, Paris Olympics silver medallist Vekic began to ‌deploy a series of drop shots to trouble Osaka early in the second set but her challenge fizzled out as she surrendered her serve in the ninth game.

* Osaka saved ‌a break point in the next game to ​close out the win in one hour and 50 minutes, ⁠reaching the third round for the first ⁠time since 2019.

* She will face 16th seed Iva Jovic in ‌the third round, after the American beat compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3 ​earlier.

Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round of the French Open for the first time in seven years on Thursday (May 28, 2026) with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka will next take on American teenager Iva Jovic as both players attempt to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time.

Osaka, seeded 16th, retrieved an early break against Vekic and then broke back again when her opponent was serving for the first set.

The Japanese star dominated a tie-break and came up with the decisive break late in the second set to put away the 72nd-ranked Vekic.

Osaka’s run to the US Open semi-finals last year is the only time she has made the second week of a major since her last Grand Slam triumph at the 2021 Australian Open.

The former world number one returned to the courts in early 2024 after a year out following the birth of her daughter.

* Osaka, who wore a sequined waistcoat blouse and black ‌mesh train over her layered ‌yellow-brown ⁠and gold match dress in ⁠the opening round, arrived for the contest with Vekic in a white floor-length flared train over ​her outfit.

* On ‌another blazing day in Paris, the Japanese player traded breaks freely with Vekic in the opening set on ‌Court Simonne Mathieu, before finding her ​best form during the tiebreak to prevail for the loss of ⁠only one point.

* Down a set, Paris Olympics silver medallist Vekic began to ‌deploy a series of drop shots to trouble Osaka early in the second set but her challenge fizzled out as she surrendered her serve in the ninth game.

* Osaka saved ‌a break point in the next game to ​close out the win in one hour and 50 minutes, ⁠reaching the third round for the first ⁠time since 2019.

* She will face 16th seed Iva Jovic in ‌the third round, after the American beat compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3 ​earlier.