Five Days to Roland-Garros: Paris Major 2026 Preview

Roland-Garros Back on the Padel Calendar

With the Madrid P1 still in full swing at Movistar Arena, the Premier Padel circuit is already five days away from its next major appointment. The Alpine Paris Major will take place from 7 to 13 September 2026 at Roland-Garros, the Parisian venue that hosts the French Open each spring. Organised by the Fédération Française de Tennis, the event brings together the world's top pairs on one of sport's most iconic grounds: six courts erected across the Roland-Garros complex, with the legendary Philippe-Chatrier reserved for the tournament's marquee sessions.

The Paris Major has established itself as one of the circuit's flagship stops — a combination of elite padel, a genuinely theatrical venue, and a location that draws both committed padel fans and a broader Parisian public with curiosity to spare. This year's edition arrives at a particularly compelling moment in the season, following a summer in which nearly every top pair on the tour has a new look.

The Draw: 88 Pairs, One Week

The men's draw will feature 48 pairs — 39 direct entries joined by four qualifiers, two special entries, and three wildcards. The women's competition assembles 40 pairs under a parallel structure. Qualifying rounds are scheduled for September 7, with the main draw starting September 8 and running through to the finals on September 13.

The compressed window between Madrid and Paris adds a significant physical dimension. Pairs who advance to the semifinals or beyond at Movistar Arena will arrive at Roland-Garros carrying substantial match loads with minimal recovery time. In past editions, this double-header effect has frequently benefited fresher pairings that exited Madrid earlier — but it has also, on occasion, produced a momentum carry: a title-winning confidence that translates almost immediately from one venue to the next.

French Tennis Legends on Philippe-Chatrier: The Exhibition Match

One of the event's most anticipated off-competition moments will unfold on the Philippe-Chatrier court itself, where French tennis legends Richard Gasquet, Lucas Pouille, Arnaud Clément, and Fabrice Santoro will take on padel professionals in a special exhibition match. The crossover format has become a signature element of the Paris Major, serving the dual purpose of drawing new viewers into padel and showcasing how tennis athletes adapt to a sport with related but distinct mechanics. For the Roland-Garros crowd, seeing familiar faces from Grand Slam tennis step onto a glass padel court in their backyard has proven a reliable crowd-puller across multiple editions.

Beyond the exhibition, the tournament organisation has built a festival dimension around match days: DJ sets from 6 p.m., outdoor activity zones, and communal areas designed to position Roland-Garros during this week as a padel hub open to beginners, curious passers-by, and seasoned fans alike.

Broadcast and What to Watch

From the quarterfinals onwards, all matches will be broadcast exclusively on Red Bull TV. Earlier rounds are available on the official Premier Padel YouTube channel, making the Paris Major one of the best-streamed events on the calendar in terms of accessibility for European audiences.

Whoever claims the Madrid P1 title on Sunday 6 September will arrive in Paris five days later with a ranking boost, fresh momentum, and the target on their back that comes with holding a title in back-to-back weeks. Whether the winner of the summer reshuffle's first major test can sustain that form at Roland-Garros will be the defining question of the sport's most compressed fortnight.