French Open Begins in Paris During Heat Wave

The French Open began on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at the Roland-Garros complex in Paris under a heat wave. m. local time and were expected to reach 31°C later in the day. Spectators used folded newspapers to fan themselves while players sought to stay hydrated.

Early matches on Day 1 included 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov against Arthur Gea on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and 15th-seeded Marta Kostyuk against Oksana Selekhmeteva on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

The opening match on Court Philippe-Chatrier was scheduled to start one hour later, pitting 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic against Sinja Kraus. The night session on the same court features three-time champion Novak Djokovic against French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

Djokovic, two days after turning 39, is competing in his 82nd Grand Slam tournament, one more than Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez. S. Open. Djokovic told reporters on Friday that he had spent many hours preparing physically and tactically after recovering from a shoulder issue.

He said Grand Slam events remain his top priority and that he was eager to begin competing.