How many rounds are in the French Open?
Facts checked November 2, 2026 by the French Open Insider editorial team
Short answer
Seven. Each singles draw has 128 players, so the champion wins seven matches: first round, second round, third round, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final. In 2027 the first round starts on Sunday May 23 and the finals are on June 5 and 6. Before that, three qualifying rounds (May 17 to 21) decide 16 places in each draw.
The seven rounds and their 2027 dates
The Roland-Garros travel site gives the 2027 calendar round by round. Each round halves the field: 128 players become 64, then 32, 16, 8, 4 and finally two finalists. Which final falls on which day comes from the LTA's provisional schedule.
| Round | Players | 2027 dates | 2026 prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round (round of 128) | 128 | May 23 to 25 | €87,000 |
| Second round (round of 64) | 64 | May 26 to 27 | €130,000 |
| Third round (round of 32) | 32 | May 28 to 29 | €187,000 |
| Round of 16 | 16 | May 30 to 31 | €285,000 |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | June 1 to 2 | €470,000 |
| Semi-finals | 4 | June 3 to 4 | €750,000 |
| Final | 2 | June 5 (women), June 6 (men) | €1,400,000 runner-up, €2,800,000 champion |
Best of five sets for men, best of three for women
Men's singles matches are best of five sets, so the men's champion must win seven best-of-five matches. Women's singles matches are best of three sets. If the deciding set reaches six games all, the first player to 10 points with a two-point lead wins, a rule all four majors have used since 2022. Our tie-break rules guide explains it.
The format makes for long days. In 2026, 20 men's singles matches had lasted four hours or more after three rounds, the most at any Grand Slam since 1999, when match times began to be reliably recorded.
How are the 128 places filled?
In 2026 each singles draw had 104 direct entrants, 8 wild cards and 16 qualifiers, with 32 seeds and no first-round byes. When a player withdraws late, a lucky loser from qualifying can take the place: the 2026 men's draw had three. The player entry list guide explains how the field is built.
Qualifying adds three more rounds
Qualifying, called Opening Week, runs from Monday May 17 to Friday May 21, 2027. In 2026, 128 men and 128 women played three qualifying rounds for 16 main-draw places in each draw, so a qualifier who wins the title needs ten wins in a row.
Maja Chwalinska came closest in 2026: she won nine matches in a row from qualifying to reach the women's final, the first qualifier ever to reach a Roland-Garros singles final. See French Open qualifying for tickets and times.
Doubles and the other events
- Men's and women's doubles: 64 teams in 2026, so six rounds.
- Mixed doubles: 32 pairs and 8 seeded pairs in 2026. The final ended 4-6, 6-3, [10-4], with a 10-point match tie-break in place of a third set.
- Boys' singles: 64 players and 16 seeds in 2026.
- Wheelchair men's singles: 16 players in 2026, with the wheelchair events played from June 2 to 6.
People also ask
Is Roland-Garros single elimination?
Yes. Every singles match is a knockout: the loser is out and the winner moves to the next round. The only way back in is as a lucky loser, a player beaten in qualifying who fills a main-draw place left by a withdrawal.
How many days is the French Open?
21 days in 2027, from Monday May 17 to Sunday June 6, including the five days of qualifying. The main draw alone lasts 15 days, from Sunday May 23 to Sunday June 6.
How many sets are played in a French Open final?
The men's final is best of five sets and the women's final best of three. In 2026 Alexander Zverev won the men's final in five sets, and Mirra Andreeva won the women's final in two, 6-3, 6-2.
How many seeds are there at the French Open?
32 in each singles draw of 128 players in 2026. The 2026 mixed doubles draw had 8 seeded pairs and the boys' singles 16 seeds.