 "French Open 2024: Players to watch, dates, schedule, defending champions and how to watch")
The French Open, second major tournament on the tennis calendar, organised by the French Tennis Federation and played on clay, will get underway on Sunday. It was first held in 1891, originally known as the French Championships, or Championnat de France in French.
French Open is also called Roland Garros after its stadium name, which was named after French fighter pilot and aviator.
A quick look at the 2024 French Open in Paris:
When is the 2024 French Open?
The 2024 French Open tournament runs from 26 May (Sunday) until 9 June (Sunday). The women’s singles final is on 8 June (Saturday) and the men’s event concludes a day later.
26-28 May: First Round (Women and Men)
29-30 May: Second Round (Women and Men)
31 May-1 June: Third Round (Women and Men)
2-3 June: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
4-5 June: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
6 June: Women’s Semifinals
7 June: Men’s Semifinals
8 June: Women’s Final
9 June: Men’s Final
Which are the key venues?
The French Open is played at Stade Roland Garros in Paris every year. The three main courts are Court Philippe-Chatrier (Capacity of 15,225), Court Suzanne-Lenglen (Capacity of 10,068) and Court Simonne-Mathieu (Capacity of 5,000).
Court Philippe-Chatrier is named after the French tennis federation president Philippe Chatrier. It has been the centrepiece of Roland Garros since its inauguration in 1928.
Court Suzanne-Lenglen is named in honour of the French tennis great Suzanne Lenglen. It was opened in 1994 and was initially named Court A.
Court Simonne-Mathieu is the newest addition to the main showcourts, having been inaugurated in 2019. It is named after the French tennis player Simonne Mathieu.
Who are the defending champions?
Novak Djokovic is the men’s defending champion having beaten Casper Ruud of Norway in last year’s final. The World No 1 Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam titles, three of them have come in Paris - in 2016, 2021 and 2023.
Iga Swiatek, the women’s World No 1, successfully defended her French Open crown last year, defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the final. The Polish player has won four Grand Slam titles in her career and three of them have come at French Open - 2020, 2022, 2023.
Who are the players to watch?
Men: Djokovic comes into the tournament without a title this year and has needed an entry in the Geneva Open for some much-needed playing time. The Serb has played sparingly this season having sat out Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Miami.
Rafael Nadal, 14-time French Open champion, has a challenging task in the first round itself in the form of fourth seed Alexander Zverev. Now unseeded after two years of injuries, the Spaniard has a jaw-dropping 112-1 record in first round matches on clay. Because of hip and abdominal muscle problems, he’s played only 15 matches in the last two seasons. It may be his final bow at the French Open.
Young guns Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, and Carlos Alcaraz, two-time major winner, are coming off injury troubles. Sinner retired in Madrid and skipped Rome due to a hip issue. Alcaraz, meanwhile, has bigger injury concerns with right forearm trouble forcing him to miss Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.
Women: Over in the women’s draw, Swiatek is well and truly the favourite for the title - to go for a three-peat. 4-0 in Grand Slam finals, Swiatek has won nine of her 21 WTA singles titles on clay, including in Madrid and Rome this season.
Aryna Sabalenka gave Swiatek competition in the final of both Madrid and Rome and came out second best in both. The two-time Australian Open champion is 50-8 in her last 10 major tournaments. Last year she squandered a match point and 5-2 lead to eventual runner-up Karolina Muchova in Paris. She’s reached at least the semis of the last six Slams and would be keen on continuing her success at the elite events.
Another player with recent success at majors is Coco Gauff. The 20-year-old has reached at least the semis of the past two Grand Slams, going on to win the US Open last year. Her best performance at the French Open has been a runner-up run in 2022, losing to Swiatek.
Elena Rybakina is another player who could give Swiatek trouble in replicating Serena Williams’ feat of winning Madrid, Rome and French Open. But the Kazakh player, who was on a 16-match winning run on clay until Madrid, has had illness issues recently.
Where to watch 2024 French Open?
The 2024 French Open will be LIVE on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
