Roland Garros opens Sunday without a defending men's champion. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from both the French Open and Wimbledon with the wrist injury that has carried since Rome; Jannik Sinner sits at -300 to take the only Grand Slam missing from his cabinet. [1] [2]

The paper's Thursday brief on the draw put the men's bracket conversation on Sinner's path; Friday adds the favorites board. Sinner opens against French wildcard Clement Tabur; possible Cerundolo in round two. Alexander Zverev is the next price at +750; Novak Djokovic looms at the 3-seed; Casper Ruud and Jack Draper round out a bracket without an Alcaraz hole at the top — there is no top. [1]

On the women's side the price board reads differently. Aryna Sabalenka is the world No. 1 and the chalk; she draws a qualifier in round one. Elena Rybakina is the No. 2 seed; Iga Swiatek the No. 3 and the four-time former champion; Coco Gauff the No. 4 and the defending champion she beat last year on the same court. [2] The seeding anomaly — Gauff defending fourth — is the WTA's running-points calculus, not a comment on her form. Sabalenka and Gauff both drew into the bottom half. A fortnight that opens in Memorial Day weekend and runs through Champions League final week is set on the bracket. The clay does the rest. [1] [2]

-- CHARLES ASHFORD, London